Hurry Up and Wait!

So as I've proudly mentioned probably a hundred times in this blog, I'm done with PA school and waiting to start my new career. Well, the medical field is pretty good at making seemingly simple tasks very complicated and drawn out. Whether it be nursing school, PA school, med school, or any other medical related field, there are countless hoops to jump through from the time you apply to a program to the time "they" actually set you free to work with patients. I get it, they don't want just any Joe Schmoe off talking care of peoples' health...but seriously! I'm an honest, law-abiding, tax-paying citizen who attended one of the premiere PA schools in the country and I'm ready to start seeing patients...LET ME WORK! Insurance credentialing, hospital credentialing, state licencing, board certification, blah,blah, blah. It's a true test of patience, this hurry up and wait game. Funny thing is, a lot of my friends and family think I'm crazy for not being ecstatic about all this time off. Don't get me wrong, I've loved the last two months off of school. Problem is, cycling doesn't pay the bills kids!! I NEED to work so I can support my nasty little addiction to bicycle racing! Whew...I'll step off my soapbox now.

So what do you do when you graduate from PA school, have a wonderful job lined up, but are waiting for the higher-ups to give you the thumbs-up? You travel around the country racing your bicycle of course. Good thing I have some great sponsors named Brandon, Visa, and American Express! Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have Brandon as my husband. There are very few guys who would support a wife with dreams as crazy as mine. I've been home a week from the season-opener whirlwind tour. Just enough time to catch up on laundry, give my house a proper scrub down, put in a few training rides, and win the first race of our local cross series.

Last weekend, Utah Cyclocross (UTCX) a great weekend series in northern Utah, had its first race of the season at the Utah State Fair Park in SLC. I was excited to race close to home and have Brandon and my mom at the race. For those of you who know Brandon, you can imagine how hard it was for him to not be at the races the previous 2 weeks. He had only missed 3-4 races ever before then, so to miss 6 in a row was hard for both of us! Anyway, I really wanted to have a good race on home turf and get my first win of the season. The course was a mix of dry slick grass, pavement, and dirt. Lots of chicanes, and even a bubble making-machine! My friend Dr. Kris Walker and I gapped the group after the first lap or so and continued to take turns at the front until 2 laps to go. I knew I had been quicker through the barrier section so I attacked then and throttled it until I formed a small gap. I focused on riding smart through the technical areas and hammered the straights. Mission accomplished! I felt good and got the win. After a couple weeks of 12th's and 13th's, it felt really good to sit back on the saddle and raise my arms in victory as I crossed the line.

Kris Walker, Me, and Erica Powers on the podium!

Next on the calendar is the New Belgium Cup USGP #2 in Ft. Collins, CO this weekend. Well-rested and ready for more, I'm really hoping for two good days of racing. Each race is another opportunity for a top-ten USGP finish, which is my goal this year. I have a great team of people supporting me so I know it's possible! If anyone is interested, cycling dirt and velo news will be providing live coverage online of the USGP races. Thanks for reading!

Thanks to my friends at DNA for taking this great series of photos through the barrier section on the first lap of the race.