Back again

Once again I’m using my MacBook mobility to write for my blog while we are underway. The bike team picked up anchor at about 11:30 this morning to set sail back to the majestic prairie plains of Ripon, WI. We had an interesting and entertaining time in Missouri, but I think we’re already to escape the high heat and incessant cicadas and settle back into our familiar routines at school. For this leg of the trip I’m riding shotgun in the team van, with teammate Christa at the helm, Cameron “Big Poppa” Arndt, Bryan and Tiffany take up positions in the southern seating section. I’ve created an 82 song playlist on my iPod to provide aural sustenance for our journey, and I’ve been alternating between reading my Physical Chemistry textbook and napping to pass the time.

Missouri the state was hot and relatively uninteresting. There was nothing spectacularly visually stimulating, although it is amusing when people with southern drawls say that we have funny accents. Probably the most exciting thing that happened that was dependent on our location was the appearance of praying mantises both mornings before our races. That was pretty cool….I’ve never seen a mantis before!

Oh yeah, races, you’re probably wondering about that. Saturday morning we got up nice and early at our fine La Quinta lodgings to indulge in a continental breakfast (including biscuits and gravy ;)) and then embarked from there to the not-to-distant state park where our event would be held. I had donned my utilikilt for ease of changing at the grounds, which had the added benefit of airing out the bad boys after the intense race. The registration process was a little silly…we were supposed to have collegiate cycling licenses with us, but a few of the members forgot them. Once again the versatility of the MacBook came into play…coach used the screen capture to take pictures of the internet versions of the licenses and we used those to register the perps.

By the time we were registered, equipped, and suited-up, we didn’t have the appropriate amount time to do an adequate ride through of the course. We managed to check out the final hill and the first leg of narrow single-track, and then we were made to line-up for the start. The other boys and I were all signed-up for Class C, the entry level of the race hierarchy, and we took time to scope out our competition, which included participants from across the lower Midwest, including some people that were seriously underdressed and under-equipped. The countdown begins, we settle into the zone, and the race begins….

…and almost immediately stalls out as we all come to a sandy bottle neck where a few of the racers had lost control. It didn’t take too long to regain momentum, and soon enough we were tearing off through the woods. The training our team had done on hills really benefited me in this race, for I moved up a number of positions by passing people on the small climbs littered throughout the course. It wasn’t too long before I found myself alone out on the track…I had separated myself from everyone behind me and ahead. I had no idea what place I was, but I kept pressing on. This trail had some interesting twists too it…there was a creek we had to cross at two different points. I dominated successfully on both my laps, but fell each time as I got to the other time, including one instant of particularly graceful poise when I took a low hanging deciduous branch to my face and upper-torso and toppled over.

Lap number two started off fairly challenging. I was still alone, although I had passed a dude on the last hill, and I had consumed most of my water on the previous round. My heartrate was soaring, and I was practicing breathing exercises so as to not hyperventilate. I crested a few hills before deciding it was time to take a hit of the inhaler and pop another energy gel. The turn around was incredible…I felt immensely restored. The drive continued…I fell more times than I could count, but bounced right back up and pressed on. Slipper rocks and roots on inclines were particularly challenging. When I came to the river crossing, there was coach with the camera to cheer me on. He shouted to me that I was in third place, which provided the thrill and motivation to keep on pushing ahead. Unfortunately, my chain fell off shortly after crossing the second portion of the creek. As I wrapped the greasy links back around the cog, a rider from Missouri who had been trailing behind me caught up and surpassed me. I hopped back aboard my steed and quickly took up my lost ground, again using my hill climbing conditioning to my advantage. I soon passed him and rode on hard in third place.

As I came around a bend, I found Steven, my first Ripon comrade that I’d seen since the start. He was hobbling next to his bike on the side of the trail. I called out to him a few times asking him if he was okay, and he finally said that he had hurt his knee but urged me to race on. I knew that we were close to the end, and I decided to rush ahead dand finish and send someone back to help. With that incentive, I shifted up into the big gears and ripped down the trails to the final
stretch. Soon enough I came upon rider number two, and I politely handed him his ass as we climbed a rutted incline next to each other. Tiffany came down the trails from the opposite direction to check on Steven, and with that reassurance I carried second place all the way to the
finish, which was a tremendous feeling.

It took a while for the rest of my comrades to trickle through the finish. Bryan was next to come through, having lost considerable time after taking a wrong turn on the course. He was understandably disappointed, and probably would have finished quite strongly if not for the unfortunate event. We had to wait even longer for the next rider…or should I say runner, as Big Poppa burst out of the woods carrying his bike across his shoulders with a broken chain draped across his neck. He had ran several miles to finish the race, and even then he hadn’t come in last. Tiffany came back shortly thereafter with the wounded Steven, who had twisted his knee on an unplanned dismount. He was in a fair amount of discomfort but fortunately not in serious pain. Christa was the last rider to come through, and we all cheered her on as she crossed the line.

Race done, we showered quickly with the solar shower, loaded up the gear, and headed off for some much needed food at Shakespeare’s Pizza, a cool pizza parlor in the heart of college town Columbia. Beer and pizza did much to relieve the post-race edge, and we trudged back to La Quinta to get some nappage in.

After a decent rest period, we roused ourselves and headed off to the swimming pool, a tiny little thing (apparently La Quinta is also Spanish for small pool) out in the parking lot. We chilled for a bit, then showered and got ready for the next adventure…more food! This time we dined at a Pub and Brew that had been recommended to Coach by a friend who had lived in Columbia. The food there was delicious, and the beer was incredible. Those of us who were of age purchased samplers that consisted of six different types of beer. Mmmm….beer…

And back to the hotel! Early to bed, early to rise, for we were to race again on Sunday morning (today). I misjudged the amount of time I had to digest, which meant the large breakfast that I ate would haunt my stomach during the trials to come. We made our way to course number two and suited up to do the short track ride. What I’ve been describing has been cross-country trails…pretty much like a hiking trail in the woods. This short track is a much much shorter track in a field with some hills. The group rides for fifteen minutes, and then the next person to complete two laps wins. Bryan dominated the short track and easily took first place. I was surprised at how much I had to exert myself, and after I pushed across the line in third place, I stumbled over to the shade and hunkered down to recuperate. Breakfast threatened to re-enact the second coming, but after my heart stopped pounding I felt much better. We waited to cheer on our women, with Tiffany pulling in a handy second place and Christa dropping out to chest pain related to a previous surgery. And that was it! We were done. Got our stuff loaded, darted back to the hotel for showers and check-out, and here we are on the road.

It’s been a good weekend. The amount of time travelling was excessive (about nine and a half hours to get there), but I had a great time with my coach and teammates. Everyone in our group is a cool cat, and I feel blessed to be a part of this merry band. The physical challenge of bike racing and the satisfaction of crossing the finish line is exhilarating. Joining the team has been one of the best decision of my college career.

And that’s it for now…I’ve given you plenty to read, dear reader, and I feel compelled to do something other than stair at a screen throughout the duration of this car ride. Stay tuned for pictures ☺

Respect,

Jon