The Blogosphere. For most I assume it's basically overwritten and under read semi-personal blah blah blah thrown into the wind. Well, fine.
Full Moon
Not so full
Attempting to put the round and round production 24 hour race into a short paragraph...tough, very tough... The Arrivee/Pilgrim's Market team of 5 consisted of Mark, Roger, Toad Carrier, Greg Welton, and Me, Cris..not to forget our all important volunteer Miss Erin. What an excellent and unique event. A 24 hour relay race on Mountain Bikes..in the dark and light...over jagged and rounded rocks(terribly called "baby heads"), smooth riverside single track, steep uphills and down for 15 mile loops....Our whole team rode hard and had fun with no injuries or major mechanicals...we were able to turn 21 laps! We had hoped for 18 or 19. Teams of all levels and many camping partying spectators. The moon was almost full and we escaped the rain for pretty awesome weather...a little cold at night but could have been worse. Next time will really try to get more sleep. 10 minutes is not enough. How we managed to not get a full team photo beats me :(
It was a few weeks before I really went for another ride and not because I didn't want to but damn life gets busy. ...focussed on trying to hang on to the wheel of life in front of you. My best rides might have been with Lola in the trailer, to the mailbox and to the pond and back...she sings in the trailer. She's cute.
Last night was the first Twilight Series race I was able to make since the rainout of the Williams Lake RR...I like Road Races. Why do I like that which hurts so much? This particular race was maybe the best B Pack race I've been a part of. The Chapman Lake Long Course of 33 miles in a fierce wind... Side wind almost forcing riders over the centerline...echeloning or trying to but the guy in front is riding the centerline...wind from the right...5 minutes into the race and SRV's Royce makes his 3rd attempted breakaway...this guy is rad...and a strong rider, so, I said what the heck and sprinted off after him determined to not look back...about 5 minutes after we had set into a lopsided(Royce heavy) dual pace line I finally looked back and saw nothing. They had let us go...I knew it was only for the time being...I'm not capable of holding off a pack for 25 odd miles mostly into cross and headwinds...Royce was not either as we both eventually got swallowed up by the pack.
I don't think there was anyone who didn't work hard today...the palouse rollers...the wind...then something happened that I really haven't seen in a B Pack race yet....5 dudes took off, Pat was one of them,...and they stayed off, except for one, Pat,...but then Pat joined the chase group which whittled down to about 12...so there was some serious selections in this little race! Everyone got a workout. The chase 1 group was hitting 40mph on the downwind stretch home trying to catch the 4 leaders..to no avail. I think Royce had made a total of 8 break attempts and succeeded 3 times.(that's good by the way) ..but eventually, together, the 12 of us with a charging Stephen Garvin, of the host club Baddlands(thank you!), sprinted in behind the leaders. Who knows how many were straggling in after us but I say yay for Tuesday nights! Maybe one of these times I will be a bit more strategic...maybe one day I will WIN! ...I mean take first place. It's been about 23 years since I won a race.
We've been missing Mark out there but life gets crazy...Pat and I have had some fun racing this season and I expect there will be more before the road cycling season bids it's early goodbye and we crackle off into the fall...but shit, It's not even summer yet. Let's GO!
