The year of the orphan:
The week of the race our team captain Ann double checked the race information and to her surprise she found that our 4 person team-Skyline Bikers was not there. After some phone calls she found out that because Skyline Bikers had two teams signed up, the system thought it was a mistake and kicked our team into the Orphan File. Ann's brother Pat and her bf Remi had signed up as Skyline Bikers in the men's pair category. Our team made up of Ann, her sister Kathleen, friend Nick, and myself were supposed to be signed up as Skyline Bikers in the men's sport class. Our team not only went into the orphan file, we were deleted! Fortunately Ann had all the payment info and we were allowed to re-register the Friday of the race BUT there was one more snafu. Nick had a last minute work commitment and was not able to make the race. Ann had someone in mind to take his place but she was already competing that weekend in the The Annual Wildman Biathlon (which is a crazy race too!). In comes Christine (sister to Anne and Kathleen, wife to Nate and mother to Kenny and Jimmie) to the rescue! I cant say she was excited but she is definitely a team player. She was also the fourth woman on the team, which meant that we didnt fit the qualification for a men's sport team. Had we not been orphaned or deleted we would have been stuck in that category but because we were given a fresh start we were able to be a women's sport team. We didnt know it at the time but we were the only women's sport team. This meant that no matter what we were getting some BLING. You know how I love my bling!
Saturday I was surrounded by the yellow shirts of the Skyline Bikers-racers and pit crew. This is a great bunch of people who were very welcoming, I was the only one in the group that was not related to or a significant other of the Brophy family. I had to chuckle because I had several "one of these kids is not like the others" moments-the team picture for instance. I guess I must have looked like a little orphan trying to fit in. Thank goodness for this great group of people who eased my mind and accepted me as I am. They are an amazing group of athletes and mountain bikers and they welcomed my average-ness.
This was the most physically challenging activity/event I have ever been a part of. We took a little spin Friday night and I felt good however, we didnt ride that darn blueberry hill. That thing was the death of me! I was the 3rd rider on the team and surprisingly wasnt all that nervous until I hit the hill. Steep up and then some steep switchbacks, a few downs and then a big up with some technical trail down, more switch back down and then some steep downhill. I rode most of it the first lap. Most. I didnt make it up the steep up hill before the technical section and I did NOT take one of the steep down hills in the middle of the technical section. I did find that sometimes its good to not know what is coming up. I accidentally took the steepest down hill I had ever taken. You know, the kind that when you are at the top you cant see the bottom even though ist just a few feet down. I hit that and had to make an immediate left at the bottom...there were bales of hay stacked high in case you missed your turn. Thank goodness I made it...that would have hurt. I held my breath the next 4 times I took that little down hill and made it every time-white knuckled and all. The rest of the ride on the mountain side felt like a piece of cake compared to that darn blueberry hill even though the rest of the ride had a gazillion up hills and some pretty intense technical trails. The first lap on the mountain side I took it all accept the "stairs" that they put in at a steep drop down.
Lap 2 was not so glamorous and was rather humbling. I totally felt out of my league especially at that darn blueberry hill! Walking the bike was humbling at first but later it was a life saver and I learned to not let it bother me. I had to talk myself through it but the competitive side of me mellowed out a little and I learned to enjoy it for what it was and to take pride in the fact that I was even participating in this crazy event! This was also my first night ride ever-wow, super fun! At least I felt that way after the first loop (10:30-12am). I took a quick bathroom break and then went back out (12:15-1:50am). I thought I was going to DIE the second night lap. I was hurting and no longer enjoyed the night ride or should I say WALK. I made it through and within a half hour of finishing the night ride I was napping. Three hours later I was up and getting ready for my 5th and final loop. I made that one count b/c I was pretty sure I wasnt (and physically couldnt) going out for a 6th lap.
Ann and Kathleen are ROCK STARS and make it look easy! Someday I am going to be just like them...probably not but its a nice thought. Believe it or not, I am happy with being an average mountain biker. Christine is very determined and she was able to take on the trails with no training leading up to the race!
(Ann won this single-speed bike in the raffle)
Our team did 19 laps total. Overall we placed 80/182 teams and solo racers. I raced 5 laps...40 miles. Our team placed 1st for the women's sport division. We received medals, cash prize, and a gift certificate for 40% off Felt bicycles at EMS. Cha-ching! While the bling is a nice touch and great to add to the collection, the experience was priceless!
Congratulations to Nate for his 15 laps in the Solo Men's category and to Pat and Remi for their 24 laps as a Men's Pair. Kenny and Jimmie also rocked the 24 minute race and Jimmie won another helmet this year (3rd place). He gave the helmet to his brother :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.