First, and foremost, thank you to everyone who has sent verbal, visual, and mental support. Either via phone, email or this blog. You have all kept my sprits up in this period of unknown. As you all know, I didn’t win the “Automatic” selection to gain birth to my first Olympic Games. While I did not make it automatically, I still have a legitimate shot at “Coaches selection”. Which means, simply that the coaches put forth what they feel is the best candidate for the job, and a committee will second that notion as to who goes. Everyone had the potential to win the selection and automatically go, and now three of the four guys have an equal shot for the coaches selection. Brad Huff, Colby Pearce, and yours truly. It’s really hard because all of us are friends. All of us have been on the road scampering for points and positions to just qualify our country’s spot in the games, and all of us have made that happen. For it to come this far down the line to coaches selection shows a few things. 1.) We’re all good riders. 2.) None of us had an outstanding performance at worlds to be given an automatic position. 3.) Even though we are friends, it’s still a battle. So, what have I been doing. Well, for starters, I was pretty upset that I didn’t crush it at the trials. Everyone thought that was going to be the case, and had me believing it too. Thus, afterwards, I had this incredible feeling of embarrassment. I felt that I let down my team, my fans, my family, myself and on down the line. I couldn’t face the phone, nor emails from anyone. I was too embarrassed to call home and let my parents know that I didn’t know I was going to the games or not yet because I didn’t win the trials. Day 1, I was the 3rd starter to attempt the time. All week I had been flying, going faster than I had ever gone before. Funny how on game day this can change in the blink of an eye. During my ride I was hitting the times I had aimed for. Bobby had set a blistering time, and I was on par to go faster until I saw 5 laps to go. Rather than it motivating me, I let it get to me and my times dropped. As soon as I heard a 17.0 second lap announced I set anchor. I knew that even though I could still make the time standard I wasn’t going to win Trial #1 and mentally told myself to save it for Trial #2 the next day. So with 4.5 laps to go, I was almost coasting and ended with a 3:24, 4th out of the group. Bobby so far was the only guy making the time standard with a great time. Day 2, I was really focused, even though I had no sleep from the night before due to nerves I was feeling alright. I knew it had to be today or it wouldn’t happen. I was first to go off since I was last overall the day before. I went down a gear to make it easier and started hitting the lap times I needed to equal Lea’s time. It wasn’t to be though, half way through I began to fade slightly, but not too much. I ended doing a 3:20 and that ended up being the 2nd fastest for the trials and 2 seconds from my PR 3:18 which I did 2 years ago! Crazy. I’m slower than I was 2 YEARS AGO! Actually, I just haven’t done enough track to be smooth since then. I was all over the place, fight for every ounce of energy, and wasting more by fighting. That’s the catch 22 when you can’t relax. You fight a losing battle over relaxing vs. aerodynamics.  So, here I am. Waiting. I’m in Boulder staying with the Phinney’s  getting in some volume as if I made the team. I’ve made a in depth training plan, and have everything in order in case I get the nod. Train as if you made the team. As soon as I know, you will all know. I have an enormous base of miles and racing in, by the time 8 weeks is up between now and Beijing, well…you come to that conclusion.