I know I'm running a couple of days behind. Forgive me friends! I opted to dine at the desk today and get this thing updated. We are lucky enough here at the hospital to have a great cafe and 2 coffee shops so getting food fast is never a problem. Jill who works in our Pizza section makes all sorts of good pizzas and cals. I'm having a ham and cheese sort of pizza pie today. Man, it's good!
Ok, let's see how far back do I need to go? Let's see, Tuesday night ride I wrote about so i get to start with the really high point of the week! The races!
Wednesday I took off work a couple minutes early and headed over to Burn's Park for the summer seres crit races. I was going to work registration. The first time you do this part is sort of tough because there are forms and money changing hands very fast. These guys want to get the stinking paperwork done so they can ride. The races cost different amounts. You can buy a one day license for Cat 5 races but that's the only one. Some races have sveral Cat's lumped in together and ya gotta know which is which. But it really went smooth and I checked with Ian a couple of times to see if everything was coming to the line in order. They take roll from the registration list at the start line.
Cat 5's are out of the course which I can see from my table. Looking good! We've got 3 of our Fast Girls & Slow Guys riding club out there. Chris S, Matthew and John. They are fighting the guys like Carve and the Ride (Conway) and a herd of guys from Joneboro. I continue getting the next cat's racers signed up and keep looking over at the race and thinking, "Am I seeing our guys up front?" Yes baby!!!! I was glued to the race and one of the next cats racers had finished his paperwork and was talking to me but I was completly absorbed in the race going on. It was funny when I snapped out of it! I guess it was sort of like watching someone when they are daydreaming and all the sudden they realize your talking to them. Registration continues and I continue stealing glances over at the race. Ok, final 2 laps and they guys are picking it up a bit. Here they come... YES!!!!! Chris grabs 2nd place, Matthew grabs 6th with John chasing a few spots back!!! WOOHOO!!! That was Chris and Matt's first race and look what an impact they made! So much so that it was overheard that some of the others racers were saying those new guys are fast. I love it I love it I love it!!!! The whole club is doing the "Yes, in fact, I DO ride with him!" Way to go guys! You really rocked the joint!
So Thursday come around. The office day was good and I got a lot done which is always nice because it sort of shapes Friday to be an easier day. I left the office and parked over at Alltel Arena and rode to the ride. There were threatening clouds and I was really hoping that I wouldn't get 7 miles away and the rain start making me ride all the way back in the rain. I've already done that once this week. On the way there is a short wooden bridge and just after I cross it there was a huge snake (black) about to cross the path. He was a grandaddy snake. No threat to me and I gave him plenty of zone. We had one of those quick snake and rider conversations that goes something like this:
Snake: Here comes a bike dude
Bike dude: Here comes a snake dude
S: Yo bike!
B: Yo slethering dude!
S: (Slethering off) Man, that guy was fast
B: (Rding off) Man, that snake was fast
Anyway... I get to the ride and the gang's all there and a few calling in to let us know they're coming but stuck in traffic. I-430 traffic has been real crop-o-la this week according to them. Yale gathers us all up and into new folks and gives the route directions and off we go. Everyone working the line getting settled in to their spot. Temp is a hot, humid 90 degrees. we curve to go over the little wooden bridge where the snake was and "Rider down!" alerts are being shouted. Jenn has gone down on the front. She leaned into to the curve and the bike slipped out from under her and sent her off the path. Blue skid marks tell the story. She is standing and has a copule of road rash spots. Let me tell you, they might not be big but road rash stings like a big momma dog! She's checking her bike and gets back on and rolls out. The compassion of our club is second to none. Everyone stopped to be sure our rider was ok.
We continue on just as we were about to hit Ft Roots for the climb I noticed a familiar red Subaru over at the skate park. Sure enough Muncho (Tyler) was over there. He had the street section of the park to himself and was enjoying some sick kick flips and nooley's. We got caught up on the weeks evens and I told him I'd cook grilled chicken Friday night if he wanted to come over. So I headed on up Ft Roots and got there just as the gang was heading down. At least I made it to the top so I wasn't slacking. Down the hill and around "crack house loop" and then pacing it back to Ft Roots for a second climb. Up the hill we go again and everyone is looking strong and eating the hill up bite by bite. I luck out a pass a rider or two and then as I get toward the top I get passed by a few. Everyone makes it to the top and down we go again.
Ridng back along the trail to Cook's is good and I get with the front group (insane thing to do , I know!) but the guys are keeping it about 22 so I enjoy the ride. Chris S is one in front of me and the leader pulls out and Chris is about to pull us. I quitely confess all my sins, promise to never eat 24 Oreo's in 5 minutes again, never to cuss, and always use bathroom spray because I know what my life is going to be like in the next few minutes while Chris ups the speed making it feel as we are entering the gates of hell. 21... 22....23.....24.....23 I lived to tell about it! Chris pulls out and I'm big dawg puller now, ain't that special! Moving along at 22 and pop....owwwww... right in the eye! Out of the line, don't slow 'em down...dang it hurts! I pull over and stop and blink 500 times. It feels like it swelling inside my eye. weird feeling. The second group hasn't come in site yet so I continue on solo. No probs, I'm fine I tell myself and pick it back up to a comfortable 20. Get back to Cook's and wait for the others. Jenn gets the med kit out of Yale's car and dotors herself up and is ready for the second part of the ride.
We head out again and climb ft roots. Yes, Rebecca Irons does sit in the back waiting for me to start climbing and lo and behold, here comes the little snot! I tell her to cut it out (joking) and stand up to try to stay ahead of her. She starts attacking again and I call her a do-do head. She laughs! Then she cuts loose and raors up the hill like Basso will do next month. I can hear her silently saying, "Eat my shorts you old fart!" Serious, she is be few one of the best climbers I've seen.
At the top we stop and I'm behind Jenn and Yale and notice the Jenn's leg is shaking really bad. I guess it's a muscle spasm. It looks like it's messing with her mentally as well. We all start heading back down the hill and Jenn gets to mid group and I noticed that Rebecca was on the phone and not coming down yet so I turned and headed back up to be sure we both get down to the bottom safe. We have a rule that we watch out for each other and no one is lefted behind.
At the bottom Rebecca turns and heads toward Cook's and I turn and head toward my starting point. There are still lots of riders out so I know Rebecca will be fine getting caught up to the group.
Even with the crash and myself getting bug-eyed, it was an overall good ride. Chris, matthew and John all rode strong even after their racing the night before.
I'm back to working on our new club jersey's so I'm bent on getting some cool stuff done on those this weekend.
Sat/Sun will give me a couple of smaller rides but Terri is out until Saturday afternoon and I need to work around the house.
Looking forward to some down time!
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