NO TIME TO REACT -- IT'S ALREADY HERE!

So remember that video of the guy getting hit in the face by a ceiling fan I posted a while back? Well that's kind of how I feel -- not so much in that my hearing is gone and my ear is turning black, but more in that I just got hit by something that I should have seen coming, and yet I still feel like I had no time to react. It's called my cycling season. It's here, and I didn't even realize it. You see, today was the Hammer at the Slammer road race. It was only a 40 mile race, and it was advertised as a training race, but I still feel like I raced today. It was a bike race -- the competition was real, the speeds were real, and the pain in my legs and lungs was very real. I'll let Krogg give you a quick recap, but trust me, I didn't realize the season had started until today.

Today Hammer at Slammer road race. Today only 40 miles, so Krogg get on bike at (painfully) early hour of 7:30 in Ante Meridiem. Krogg pedal bike through Boise on beautiful Sunday morning -- no cars on street, gorgeous sunrise over mountain, crisp clear air. Krogg arrive at race, and experience various frustration: need to register for race, pin number, change from tights to leg warmer, et cetera. Krogg almost fail to manage emotions like well-adjusted adult, and snap at teammate once or twice. Then Krogg race. 

Oh -- how good it feel to race. There nothing like it. Dusty old axe, Krogg pick you up, clean and polish, and then swing with gusto like in old days. Krogg experience true and utter joy (also significant amount of pain), as solo breakaway start halfway though race. Twenty miles long time for solo breakaway, but Krogg pace himself well, and save some for last bit of last lap. Krogg suffer big big ouch during final few miles, but wow -- it worth it. Krogg hang on to finish, and WIN RACE! 

Then Krogg remount bike and continue ride. Krogg figure this training race after all, better keep training. Then, few miles after Krogg leave race, Krogg remember: race official said there would be podium presentation. CRAP! Krogg totally forgot podium! Not pro Krogg, not pro at all! Good thing Krogg have old podium photo to share: 

Krogg have major thanks for teammate Kai Applequist, who set Krogg up beautifully for solo breakaway and then manage field of chasing riders. Kai also strong caveman: him end up second overall on day. NICE WORK KAI! 

And so it was that I won the Hammer at the Slammer road race. In all my years of racing, I've never won my first race of the season. 

AND NOW MORE NEWS: 

Holy hand-grenades, talk about the season starting before you were expecting it: it looks like I'm heading to the San Dimas Stage Race in scarce under two weeks. I've got a bone to pick with that race! For two years running, the San Dimas has been more of a "bogus journey" than an "excellent adventure." I plan on changing that this year. 

AND NOW MORE NEWS: 

My team kicks ass. TODAY:  Logan won stage 4 of Merco, two in the top five on GC, a great day for Exergy. WOW. Visit Exergy's facebook page for the details (if you haven't already), but here's the gist: 

Photo credit pending.