US trip Summary, heading home....pumped!

So my 3 and a half week trip to The US and A is up, so I'll do a quick rundown of how it all went. After hanging out with Clay Porter is So Cal for a few days we (Sam Willoughby and myself) flew to the first of the races for the new US natioanl ABA season, I had been training pretty good, but hadn't raced any BMX at all in about 15 months since the olympics, so I really didn't know what to expect.

The track in Reno was pretty basic, but I still struggled a bit at first to get the feel of the gate and the bumpy tracks. One thing I didnt even think would be an issue, but was what felt the weirdest to adjust to was how the start hill goes straight to dirt at the end of the gate, Definately used to having some sealed run off before hitting the dirt.

Anyways, I felt good on the first day and had got through the heats no worries, and won my semi, then got given a super sweet lane 7 (SARCASM) for the main. On these tight indoor BMX tracks an inside lane is Vital. It's so hard to get around all the fastest guys in the world in a main on a 50 meter 1st straight, but whatever. I got a good start but got stuck out wide into turn 1, where a ball up inside me happened, and I was pretty lucky to exit in 3rd, but thats where I entered the turn so it all worked out I guess. So a 3rd for day 1. Bubba Harris low lowed the shit out of turn one and went from last to first and took his first win in a couple years, and Donny Robinson pulled a similar move to Bubbas and exitd in 2nd. Kind of an anti climax, but thats racing I suppose. My boy Sam W ended up in 4th.

Reno day 2 was a burn. I felt useless in warm up on Sunday morning, my legs felt like they were pedalling squares. 7:30am warm up is terrible! Especially when its the middle of winter and theres snow outside. I for sure wasn't adjusted to the time change from Australia also, and all I wanted to do was lay down and have a nap! As the day went on things got better but I was struggling. Semi final time and I got the worst gate of my weekend, and had to work super hard to get back to the top 4, including a pretty sketchty move on my part to pass Afro Bob in the last turn. I felt kind of bad becasue I like the guy, but earlier in the day he had put my bike in the rubbish bin while I was in the toilet, and also threw a drink bottle at my bike while I was doing a magazine interview, and it expolded all over my frame, so he had something coming from the bad Karma he had built up....hahaha!!

I got lane 5 in the main, I got a good gate and all that, but Kyle Bennett got out super fast, and nailed the first straight to holeshot and win, with me taking 2nd and Sam W in 3rd. So 2 podiums in my first 2 days, and I took the AA pro/Elite men points lead at the same time.

From there we went back to beautiful, snowy, freezing, totally out of my comfort zone, ST Cloud, Minnesota to Stay with Alise Post and her family. They made me feel really welcome in their house and it was a good time, so big thanks to Mark and Cheryl Post! despite it being between -5 and -10 degrees C everyday. For a guy from sunny, hot Queensland, this was quite the experience. Had some really good sessions at the Rehbeins Indoor BMX track, although it's tiny, there was a gate, and some jumps, and when there's nothing but snow outside, it's the best thing in the world! I must have done a good 100 gates and 1st straights with Sam W over these 10 days, which is always doing to be good training. I knew my straight line gas was good but coming from Australia I have never had to pedal over jumps in the 1st straight, and anyone who has seen Sam ride knows that he just pedals over everything, and does it damn good, so he was lighting me up a lot down the 1st straight there. But as it turns out, it was great preparation for the next 2 races in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Guthrie went really good, except for a couple early issues on the pro section (it was too short, and the run in was too fast for the jumps) I got everything sorted by race time and was keen to make my last weenend in the US count. I won all my laps on Saturday coming into the main where I was given lane 7 again....not pumped! I put too much pressure on myself to get a perfect gate to try and get across on everyone, and ended up going way too late. My gas was good though and I got back to almost holeshot from lane 7, but I just needed that inside lane, or atleast a better gate! I slotted into 2nd Behind Randy Stumpfhauser and thats where I ended up. Sam W taking 3rd again and rounding out the podium.

Day 2 in Guthrie and I really wanted at least one win for my trip, just so a could get a big cheque to go home with haha! My day again, like day 2 in Reno, started with me feeling terrible, I just cant warm up or wake the body up that early in winter! But I started feeling better and I went from 5th in heat one, to 2nd in heat 2, and 1st in heat 3. I was feeling good for my semi and I took the Holeshot and the win, and I was now feeling like I was in with a shot for the win. Funny what a difference a few hours can make, I felt like I was wasting my time in my first few motos, then 2 hours later I thought I was up for a win.

In the main I got a good inside lane, got a good gate, took the holeshot and rode a solid lap for the win! Pretty pumped to end my trip that way, and to leave with a good lead in ABA pro points, not that Ill be around to keep that going or have a crack at the title, but its all good still.

So now im sitting in my motel room in San Diego, waiting for Sam and Alise to get back from the gym to take me to the airport. So keen to get home already, see Jess and the dogs, and get back into my bubble to keep getting faster and have another great year in 2010!