You can't control everything...

You can train hard, prepare well, have your gear ready, get your mind clear, control your nutrition, be relaxed, be ready........all of these things are in your control. It's the "X" factor that sometimes determines the outcome of a race, season, or even career. The "X" factor for me this past weekend was LUCK.....I just did not have any today. Here is how my race went.......I got a great start...2nd place.......almost the hole shot. I held it for most of the first lap and was feeling great, I slipped on the first hill and dropped to 5th. Still not bad and feeling good! I dropped my chain on the run up staircase on 2nd lap...I struggled to get it back on and got passed by many riders.....in my fustration I pushed to hard and bent my chain! dam! I could not hold it in one gear the rest of this lap and then BAM!! I crashed into the back of another rider in the corner by the tennis courts...tacoed the front rim! dam dam! I'm totally out of it now......no spare wheel and no 2nd bike. One of my team mates who was not in this race loaned me his bike but we had to change out my rear wheel. After a 3+min pit stop I almost quit the race but my teammate convinced me to jump back on and finish. I wound up passing like 5 or 6 guys and finished the race...got 15th. Not what I wanted and I knew I was capable of a top 3. All I needed was a bit of luck today and that might have happened. Oh well.....better luck next time.