That is what I am going to poster to the bike box the Klugs lent me last night.  Am I nervous? Yes.  Am I really excited?  Yes!  Am I going do do well?  It does not matter.  Am I going to finish?  Hell yes!  There will not be any DNF's coming out of me.  I can over analyze the results of others and how I stack up to them in local races, but it does not really matter when it comes down to it.  I might do better and I might do worse.  I will not know until I race one of these big races and I am doing what it takes to find out.  I am very excited to race with the nations best and equally excited to race in New England.  The cross scene there always sounds like it is so much bigger and more fun.  I got an email from the organizers of Saturday's race with all sorts of instructions for arm and side number placement, random drug testing notifications and line up / call up procedures.  It is all going to be a new and way more structured than what I am used to, it is going to be a great experience, unless they try to draw blood, because I will pass out.  I HATE needles.  Thanks to Cody for the shout out.  71 hours 36 minutes until the gun!

 

 This is still a month away, but I am torn between races once again.  On November 18th there is racing in both Wisconsin and Chicago.  I have heard that the course in Sun Prairie is amazing, but I would really like to race against the 1/2/3 riders in Chicago to see how the competition is.  I think the deciding factor will be where the majority of the team decides to race.  I would like to hang out with all of them at a race course for the day.  I really enjoy racing with and against the Wisconsin riders, I feel like the competition is stronger, helping me get faster.  We will see.  Jingle cross plans are ramping up and I am one hundred percent positive that weekend is going to be amazing.  We also have the hotel (water park resort) booked for nationals.  If you want to get in on either of those let Julie or I know.  Mike, Dan and I are already committed to Jingle cross leaving space for, technically two bikes and two people, if we really want to pack it in (I'd rather not, but we can make it work if we have to).  Get a hold of me if you want to go.  And for nationals in Kansas City, Kansas; Julie, Dan and myself are already in a car.  We could fit one more person and one more bike.  We have lots of floor space in the hotels for anyone who wants to crash.  We should all pitch in for this and use it poolside!

 

There are a few people who have told me recently that I have come out of nowhere and into the racing scene around here.  Well, that is only half true.  If you were around the Rockford or Elkhorn BMX tracks in the late 90's you could have seen my brother Brandon and I racing for 4 Star racing and grass roots sponsored by Schwinn.  Which now that I think about it, might soon be a weird coincidence.  Anyway, we raced for about five years.  My brother took second at Grand Nationals one year, I have always said he is faster than I am.  Now I am competitively racing again and have moved through the ranks pretty quickly, in only one year.  Sounds mildly impressive when you compare that to Jason Prudhom in Minneapolis.  He started racing cyclocross one month ago and did really well in the "C" race.  He has since requested an upgrade to Cat3, it is pending or some shit.  He is finishing up front with the "B" group and feeling good.  He raced this past weekend with the "A" group after having a mechanical in the "B" race and took 14th of 28 with the "A's!"  That is how you kill it!  The tails I get from him about the cross scene up there make me wish I had gone up in October. 

 

Greg, Brian and Tristan all kicked ass in Kentucky this past weekend, go read about it!  You can go over to Cyclocross magazine's Weblog and send them a Halloween themed cross race picture and win stuff.  For all of you that actually click my links, I can not stop checking that blog.  I think that is all I have.