Road Nationals

So this weekend i decided to race at Road Nationals.  I thought it would be as race just for the experience, and that's what it turned out to be.  Unfortunately I could finish the race, i only finished 3 of 10 laps.  There are probably many reasons for it but i don't want to be a complainer but i dropped mainly because one of my spokes on my front wheel. As well i was trying a new energy drink and it didn't taste good so i didn't ddrink much and so i was most likely dehydrated.
So the first lap was going fine, i was in the peleton holding on well, on the climbs i was keeping up without much problem.  then on the way down i think is where the breaking of the spoke happened.  And so my wheel was no longer straight, it was rubbing on the brakes.  At the bottom of the hill the group started to pull away on the flat.  When a hill came i caught up again and was back in for a bit, until the next flat. So i think that the rubbing and the dehydration may have had something to do with that.  However they were pretty strong.
I got dropped at the top of the first bigger climb where there was a flat section on the second lap.  After that i was on my own.
For the rest of the second and third lap i was on my own and start catching up to a few people who were being dropped of the back of the group, and passing them.  I was noticing that my spoke might be broken at the end of the first lap and the start of the second. I didn't want to quite then i thought, no way Jose am i going to quite yet, i wanted to a least finish half the race.  But i was being passed by all the groups behind me so i thought i'm going to get nowhere.
It was cool to be there, it was also fun to watch the rest.  I was upset i didn't get to finish the race.  I thought that i would be able to hold onto the group for the whole race, and it was disappointing to have to DNF.  Oh well lesson learned, dont try a new drink during a race.
Congratz to Katlyn for an AMAZING race, finishing 5th overall. (her second ever road race).  Also congratz to Etzl for a super race, unfortunately his gear failed him at the last sprint.  Congratz to all other racers!!
Now i'm back in the MTB business for a while!!  With Buckwallow this weekend.  Tomorrow i'm going up with the team LIib guys for a a few hours of  riding!!
Peace out guys