Courtenay Brown

So I called my mom a couple hours ago to tell her I was sick and ask her what to do, she wasn't there so I left a message.She called me back. And by the way, if you are ever sick or upset or anything and need some good motherly ears and advice, you should definitely call my mom. I know this from lots of past experience.Sal: Hi Sweetie. You are sick? What happened?Me: About a half hour after dinner last night my stomach started really hurting and it hadn't gone away this morning but ...

Last night after dinner, my stomach gave me some very distinct f*ck-you signals. I chose to ignore said signals, figuring I would just go to bed and it would feel better in the morning. Everything feels better in the morning, right?Um.I woke up feeling like crap and, being a smart girl who sure does a lot of dumb things, I came into work anyway.I got carsick on the bike shuttle. I never get carsick.I am not hungry for breakfast. I am always starving in the mornings.I think I am about to throw up. I haven't thrown up since the sixth grade.Sooo, I need to --Shit...

O.K. I have waited patiently for 6 hours for other people to blog and photo blog about today's race but so far, nothing, and I am just going to bite the bullet, wax rhapsodic, and toot some horns or something all on my own.I don't have any photos at the moment though, just so you know.I have never had a good Berkeley Hills, even back when the race finished on Mama Bear and was much more flatlander-friendly. Somehow I nevertheless optimistically set out for a top-5 today. Without any VAC teammates to join me, my strategy was simple. Be patient and be selective about who to follow. 71 miles of being patient is a loooong time ...

Lisa, our Team VAC director, came to my house last night to exchange some team goodies.Lisa: Here are your race wheels. Be sure to ride them at least once or twice before Mt. Hood, so you can get used to them.Me: Um, o.k. But I am not doing anything between Berkeley Hills and Hood.Lisa: Huh? You mean you aren't even riding?! What?Me: Nope. All I am doing between the two is running.Lisa: DON'T you DARE!!!Hehehe. I got her!

Here is my latest favouritest ever blog post. Smithers is brilliant.

Roman slid out on Happy Valley Road, sustaining road rash but thankfully not anything worse.Emily crashed spectacularly down a Boulder descent and is sporting a very glamorous Bride of Frankenstein look whilst patiently waiting to heal enough to get back on the bike. "Why am I staying up so late these days? Because I am not an athlete anymore!" (I am bummed that my partner in crime is temporarily sidelined, although I am sure there are other members of the women's peloton who are relieved that she is absent from a few start lines... Really strong AND blonde AND pretty! That bitch!!)Taitt got hit-and-run by some streetracer type dude yesterday, ...

I have this friend whose mom died of cancer when the friend was a child. Said friend is having a going-away party this weekend, on Sunday. I called another friend to see if she was going to the party since, you know, girls can't, like, go to parties and stuff if there aren't going to be other friends at the parties.Me: Hey are you going to the party on Sunday?Her: Yeah, I am... Wait. Sunday?! My mom will be here. It's Mother's Day! Who the fuck has a party on MOTHER'S DAY!?!Me: Um, someone whose mom died when she was 8?Her: Whoa. I forgot about that. I'm such an asshole.Me: ...

I had this grand plan to take a picture and post it today as a sort of cough-cough look-at-me-and-how-cool-I-am the-photo-speaks-for-itself post.It started when I went down South Park Rd on my bike on Sunday and noted that I hit a max speed of 50.9 mph. Whoa. I never go that fast! But when I got home my powertap computer had somehow zeroed itself.So, I planned my entire ride today in a way that would specifically send me down South Park again. This time I hit 52.6, giddily stopped at the bottom and got out my cameraphone, made sure the light was coming from the right direction, adjusted the powertap computer so there would be no glare, ...

"Hmph. So when are you going to start swimming."said Devon, after I told him I went running after the bike race on Saturday"I like your arms. Where do you work out?"said a lady to me at the Piedmont Ave. Peets on Saturday, I sat there silently laughing at the thought that one's arms can be toned simply by having the right gym membership card, then I got my manners back and said Thank You, I race bikes. She thought I meant moto-cross..."He wasn't rich enough!"said a Lady in Montclair to her friends as I was riding by yesterday

That's me in the shadows on the right...Cool things from today's race, in no particular order:* Despite the field being small and the course being headwindy, it was nevertheless an active race* I picked up 4 primes and 3rd in the race!* When I filled the tank in my car this morning, the total came to $33.33... this was an accident but I think next Saturday I will aim on getting $11.11 worth of gas, just in case there is some performance correlation going on.* ...