nationals: it's a wrap.

it was cold. really, really cold. though I had packed for a freaking blizzard I dressed for the 40 degrees we expected... but it was really cold. but enough about the weather.

By morning the shifter on Ben's A bike decided it was again unhappy. I threw in the towel and took it to Jose, who agreed that it was the shifter being bitchy, and sprayed it full of alcohol-based cleaner and sent me to shift through and work it in as much as I could. Still wasn't cooperating. So Ben went out for nationals on the B bike. Eh, happens. I think we need to suck it up and just replace that shifter.

They didn't check wheels on the line. I'm really sick of these kind of false alarms, and I'm really frustrated that this one originated with a freaking official and that it makes those of us who listen to the officials look like idiots. A few people had some unkind words to say over this, which was not helpful.

The course was pretty hard packed, fast, clean. Ben also wanted to go out on filetread, but I found Franky in the parking lot and he said it wouldn't be fast enough downhill. We always listen to Franky. The filetread went back in the car.

There was little work in the pit. One rider did about 4-5 bike changes, we all kind of giggled at that, but aside from that, little went down. It was sad watching Stu go from working the pit to hanging out with the SRAM guys once Tim was out of it. Todd Wells made a surprise bike change, which Hemme thinks had something to do with him being on the wrong tires, but I didn't really see. I did enjoy when Richard Sachs sent Will to the food tent to get a sandwich and coffee. He offered me some as I laughed at their pit picnic. Spinelli was in the top 10, so I guess they're the ones who should be laughing. The usual people were friendly, the usual people were unfriendly.

Personally, I was really disappointed that Page didn't take it. Really disappointed.

Ben just had a good time. I counted him in the low 30's 1 lap in, he faded a little as usual but then came back to gain some places. He high 5'ed everyone and was blowing me kisses. What fun.

2008, done.