Last fly-to GNCC

Last fly-to race this weekend.  No more $20 carwash Monday mornings, no more biscuit and gravy Denny’s breakfasts.  We’ve only go the Ironman GNCC in Indiana after this weekend.  IN is only 5 hours from Madison.
I’m writing this post from the passenger seat of the van while Joe drives.  We’re somewhere in Maryland making our way over to Ohio.  The GPS was set to take us on a no tolls route but we didn’t realize that until we were an hour out of our way.  Wasted time.
It’s good to be back at this again this weekend.  I feel like I have some momentum with these past two GNCC results I earned, even if it’s not all about the results for me.  It takes racing for me to get faster, more confident and into the groove, even if the races are two weeks apart.  Consecutive races make me better as I go along.
We flew back into Harrisburg, PA (home of Hershey candies and Three Mile Island), thanked the great people at Bike Gear and Fitness for letting us park the van and camper in their lot for a month then hit the road. 
In Cumberland, Maryland we grabbed Quizno’s and filled the cooler with food and ice for the weekend.  Cumberland was a cool town nestled in a nook of the eastern rockies (there was even a sign for the Easter Continental Divide just west of town).  All the towns out east are old compared to WI and even older than what I grew up knowing in CO.  Some far away history for me here with all the famous towns in the area (Allentown, Gettysburg, Lancaster, Reading) so it’s cool to see in person.
Who knows where we are now since its dark out and all I see on the GPS is 1h49m to go.  I’m sure it’s beautiful out there.  The rolling hills and colorful leaves were spectacular from the plane and along Interstate-81.
Joe informed me that a majority of the nation’s fastest GNCC racers all live within 100 miles of St Clairsville, OH, where the race is this weekend.  They expect 1500 racers at this one.  That puts me back in the anxious mode because, contrary to what I say about the results not mattering, they do.  And having to fight my way through a race to finish 8th isn’t really where I want to be.  But I need to keep my expectations in check and do what has been working for me: stay steady, ride smart, don’t get in over my head, look up the trail, be smooth and smile, smile, smile.
We’ll need to do some bike work tomorrow morning.  Joe is doing his clutch and I need to get to Pirelli to collect some tires.  I look forward to working out of the back of the van setting up our stuff in preparation for the race.  The weather is supposed to be warm at 80F.  Could be a dusty one.