On a Roll

I've been on a roll the last week. First, I survived the first round of layoffs at the company. A lot of good folks lost their jobs (roughly 3% of the employees). Unfortunately another round of layoffs is slated for Q1 2009.

Next, I did a solid job in my MSE Portfolio presentation 1. There are 3 presentations associated with the portfolio at certain points in the software development life cycle. Getting through number 1 is a significant milestone, as now I've established some momentum and have a shot at finishing. The MSE Portfolio is the only thing standing between me and my degree.

Finally, to cap off the week, a very solid ride in the local cross series - 2nd place in the 45+ open race. The race was intense - rode with the leaders at the start, saw #1 and #2 get a gap when someone blocked the rest of the field with a crash. I went back and forth with #3 for a long time, and eventually we reeled in #2. Just as we caught him I had a lapper get stuck between me and #2 and #3 on the single track - the lapper ended up not being able to ride a section and I was force to dismount and run. As luck would have it the other guys were stuck behind someone, so I ran behind them for a while until I could remount. Winded from the run, they opened a gap, but after #3 crashed hard I got on the wheel of #2 and got my wind. I sat on his wheel for half of the last lap - he made a hard move with a half lap to go, and I chased steady but not hard as I knew I would catch him on the sharp turn in front of the run up. I caught him, passed him on foot, remounted and was in front going into the single track. I road smooth on the technical sections, punched it hard in the open, and opened a 15 second gap by the finish.