Uninspired, but not Disinterested start to 2017
- Thread starter Pearl
- Start date
rlb
Well-Known Member
Congrats btw, when is the baby due?
Congrats!
But in a way, your life as you know it does actually end when you have kids. However, most of the time guys who say stupid shit like that are missing the point. Where they are wrong is assuming that after kids your allocation of time becomes binary: 0) time spent being a parent, 1) time spent doing "fun stuff" (i.e. riding a bike, watching football, playing hockey, drinking beers with buddies, etc...), and that (1) is obviously superior to (0).
If you see parenting as the thing that takes time away from the thing you really want to do (i.e. riding a bike, etc...) then you will end up being pissed off and hating your life. But if you have athletic goals and are willing to be disciplined enough to be present for your family while you work towards those goals, you might just find yourself on a higher plane of happiness and fulfillment. Self fulfillment can actually make you a more productive human and a more engaged parent.
It's a fine line to walk but it's definitely possible, especially with young kids. Training, racing & parenting are not incompatible but it's akin to stuffing 15.01 lbs of shit into a 15 lbs bag. It'll fit, but just barely. And you'll feel pretty pleased with yourself when you can cram it all in there without seepage. But, 15.02 lbs of shit will not fit and if you try to make it fit things may get a little messy. I'm in the messy phase now. Some day I'll get back to being competitive but for now I'm ok not trying to stuff shit into bags.
The Squirrel
Well-Known Member
I like to say it never gets easier, it only gets different. you just need to learn to adapt.
ChrisRU
Well-Known Member
Well said. I love being a Dad, so I've passed my time as a new-ish parent keeping busy with things that I can do with the kids. Bikes are fun but as blasphemous as it may sound, there is a ton of other fun shit out there to do too. Its not all mai tai's and yahtzee, kids can and will be pains in the ass. Everything takes longer to do. But overall, doing things with my kids is a lot less stressful for me than having to figure out how can I fit things in without them. And as a bonus, putting a smile on their faces puts a bigger smile on my face than anything I could do on my own. Bikes will always be there. Balance can be achieved many different ways.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
This is well said also (except for the yahtzee comment ... yahtzee? ...
.) And that's coming from someone who's never had kids and probably never will. My younger brother just had his first and watching him just change everything in his life in such a short period and be totally happy doing it has been pretty cool. Never had a desire to have kids, but also never felt like people who did would be miserable either. I'm at an age now where I do hear a lot of people my age complain a lot about their kids because they've reached their teens, but I don't take that as a validation that my choice would work for everyone - I think they're just blowing off steam at the moment. (Of course, I give them shit about how I don't have to go to little league games or school events and all that, but that's just because I feel it's my duty as "the irresponsible one" to do so .) Ultimately, I think "balance" is whatever puts a smile on your face, and it's not only related to family. I get way out of balance for things like work and riding several times a year, which may sound ridiculous to people with actual familial responsibilities. But I usually can tell when I'm too far out of whack when I start waking up in the morning without looking forward to the day. That's a pretty simple test and it definitely works for me regardless of what is causing the imbalance. That happened to me about ten years ago with racing and I walked away from it for a couple of years because of it. I went back when I started to feel like I was too far in the opposite direction - work, stuff around the house, etc. But I learned a good lesson in between: now I only do a few races bigger a year and I try to make at least one of them a "goal" - something to force me into working hard on the bike but not so much that I have to skip other things. And I've been a lot happier with racing and riding because of it. But even now I can feel the winds of change coming: I'm less excited about races than I had been over the last few years. Part of that is because I've done most of the ones I always wanted to do by now so I'm kind of "been there/done that" with some of them. But it's also because of that balance thing - there are some other things I'd like to do and they are going to require time that I currently reserve for riding if I pursue them and I am alright with that. I still have a few goals for biking - but I am noticing that most of them have nothing to do with podiums now. I want to do some touring, try some bikepacking, see some new places on the bike. There are still a few races I'd love to tackle and I'll probably always try to retain some level of competitiveness, but for the most part I'm more focused on just enjoying riding and letting it fit in where it will with other stuff at this point.
So, my "sage advice" would be just to keep it simple: if riding (and/or racing) makes you happier than not riding (and/or racing), then keep it around in some way, shape or form. And ditto for pretty much everything else you've got going on!
Yeah, what these guys said.
I got into cycling when my kids where 5 and 3. In the beginning it was recreational and developed into racing crits. When they got into sports, scouts, play dates...I gave cycling a break. I could not fit it all in. Instead I coached soccer, baseball and became a den leader. Also I got a ticket plan to Yankee games(at old stadium) so the kids can say they remember old stadium. When they got older I began cycling/racing again.
Now my kids are in college, Evan is 22 and will be graduating in May. Jamie is 19 and goes to Pitt. When your immersed in cycling that is your world and that's not a bad thing, however those years off from cycling allowed me to connect with people in town and bond with my kids. Like Ru said, there is other stuff besides cycling.
I got into cycling when my kids where 5 and 3. In the beginning it was recreational and developed into racing crits. When they got into sports, scouts, play dates...I gave cycling a break. I could not fit it all in. Instead I coached soccer, baseball and became a den leader. Also I got a ticket plan to Yankee games(at old stadium) so the kids can say they remember old stadium. When they got older I began cycling/racing again.
Now my kids are in college, Evan is 22 and will be graduating in May. Jamie is 19 and goes to Pitt. When your immersed in cycling that is your world and that's not a bad thing, however those years off from cycling allowed me to connect with people in town and bond with my kids. Like Ru said, there is other stuff besides cycling.
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
First time out to Uwharrie with Buddy and Charles, now I'm mad this is the first time I've ever been here. Place is super fast and a hoot. Amazing that this is as rocky as it gets for the Charlotte Metro area, but the machine cut trails and whoops just scream fun. I can see how after a nice rain this place would be rippin fast. I had way too much video to cut through, so I made this quickly.
Soggy rain the yesterday and today means everyone is stuck inside. It hasn't rained like this in a while.
Soggy rain the yesterday and today means everyone is stuck inside. It hasn't rained like this in a while.
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
I remember a while back when Norm said you would reply to your own blog post, things are getting stale/lame. Oh well, let's keep on it.
I got a text at 11am asking if I was racing tonight. I didn't really think about it, but an hour later I some how wiggle my way into child hand off and suddenly i'm registered to race single speed mountain bikes on a Wednesday night. It was pure "single speed-like" attitude. Completely like "fuck it, lets do it". I had no idea of how I would feel, if my bike was good to go, anything like that. Straight winging it. Last time I raced here at the Whitewater Center (the place with the brain eating amoeba (didn't spell that right on the first try btw)) I was completely gutted and man, this was a hard race. I look back and thing it may have been I was completely shelled from Pisgah the day before. But whatever. The trails are the most "NJ-like" in terms of shorter climbs, some rooty sections. Maybe a flatter Hartshorne with some CR White Trail stuff? I was hoping to have a full video of the race, but I botched that with a full SD card. The are usually pretty buff and smooth since they are on private property and close when it's crappy. Today it was a little greasy so I figured it woudl be slower.
I show up sort of early and I'm able to skip around for a pre-ride lap. I know the course from last time, so I just take note of the slippery sections. This was also the first time with my new Ibis 740mm handlebar, which I was worried if it was too wide. Feel pretty good and line up. Run into all my new singlespeed friends, Chase who's been busy racing track bikes, Rich who just came back from a Eurotrip-like vacation, Charles who doesn't want to pay the parking fee and parks at a school and rides in. Seems like it will be a fun ride.
Theres about 10 of us or so, so knowing half the field is always fun. We are let off and its apparent Rich has a larger gear, Chase slightly larger than me. In typical SS fashion, I just rolled 33x18 and said "fuck it". It should be okay enough.
I'm immediately gapped in the parking lot start into the single track. You can only spin so fast. I stay on it as hard as I can. Rich is out and we can only hope that his type in Belgium will catch up with him and he will completely bonk. Chase is my race. I would say I'm about 3-4 seconds behind him. Far enough that when he passes someone, I can't just say "me too!". So each time he passes someone I have to take some risks to make up the time I just lost. It was a interesting game. The corners were wet in some spots and with some wooden bridges, you wanted to play it extra safe, but at the same time, didn't want to eat shit over a bridge.
With all the leap frogging over the geared riders the gap is staying pretty much the same. We head to the biggest climb, Goat Hill, which is pretty steep on a geared bike, and very much a balancing act on the singlespeed. I didn't pre-ride this so I was going in blind but was able to balance my way up to it, and all the way to Chase's wheel. He asks if I want to go by but know that it isn't the time. I roll with him down the descent. Sadly it is the only good part of the race I was able to capture:
He is faster with his 27.5+ with fork on the descents and flats, but on the uphills and single track I'm able to make up time. We head into a trail called Toilet Bowl as it as a toilet bowl in it. very narrow with tons of growth and greasy. A couple times we get crossed up and lose traction on some of the wet roots and have to jog a little. We roll the rest of the lap together.
At this point I know my only hope is to put in a effort on Goat Hill and get out of sight. I just need to stick with him all the way to that point. I'm happy I wore my Camelbak because it's impossible to drink. I can't tell if Chase is dying or just saving his energy. I feel a little more relaxed the second lap, maybe because I feel confident at single speed race pace on this stuff now. Right as we hit the climb to Goat, Chase asks if I want to come by. Well, that was easy. I give it all I got and make the climb, and I have a gap. Unsure if it is enough, I bury myself on the descent and the next short, false flat climb. I'm by myself here.
I kind of go into safe mode and make sure I do not make any mistakes, a game plan that pays off in greasy races. If you can stay on the bike and make no mistakes, it's usually pretty hard to get caught. Through Toilet Bowl I'm not losing my rear wheel and make all the sections I didn't make on the first lap. I peak back and think I see someone who is a geared rider, but it is actually someone in my class. Rut roh.
As soon as I see him I turn off safe mode and let a little more hang out on each rooty climb. As soon as I do this, I hear a tire slip and I can only imagine it being the rider who was chasing me taking a risk on the wet roots. I can only spin 33x18 so fast, but I do not see him as I get out of the trail into the last section of single track. Come up on some more geared riders who are battling for a position and just as I get comfy to sit in and watch this battle on the last stretch of double track, the dude breaks his chain, ouch. Thankfully I was far enough back on the steep uphill to not get hung up. Safely roll through the last section of tight trees with the wide bars and cross the line in second place.
Rich ended up rolling in at 58:21, and I finished in 1:01. It looks like he hit the deck once but it didn't matter, between the tango of 2nd/3rd, he was able to push that bigger gear on the flats and it seemed to make the difference. As always, you can second guess your gear choice but I don't think I would have made the Goat climb with a harder gear.
The most interesting part of this race is that I was faster on the rigid bike on some of the longer segments. I mean sure, I may be forced to climb faster on it, but I didn't think the up hill gains would balance out to be faster with the downhill ones. Other segments, the Scalpel or my fitness was much much better. Also the fact that my heart rate averaged 185bpm for an hour, with 197 max. I haven't seen a max that high in a while. I guess that is what one gear does to you.
And instead of Monday morning bike hangovers, it's Thursday. Strange.
I got a text at 11am asking if I was racing tonight. I didn't really think about it, but an hour later I some how wiggle my way into child hand off and suddenly i'm registered to race single speed mountain bikes on a Wednesday night. It was pure "single speed-like" attitude. Completely like "fuck it, lets do it". I had no idea of how I would feel, if my bike was good to go, anything like that. Straight winging it. Last time I raced here at the Whitewater Center (the place with the brain eating amoeba (didn't spell that right on the first try btw)) I was completely gutted and man, this was a hard race. I look back and thing it may have been I was completely shelled from Pisgah the day before. But whatever. The trails are the most "NJ-like" in terms of shorter climbs, some rooty sections. Maybe a flatter Hartshorne with some CR White Trail stuff? I was hoping to have a full video of the race, but I botched that with a full SD card. The are usually pretty buff and smooth since they are on private property and close when it's crappy. Today it was a little greasy so I figured it woudl be slower.
I show up sort of early and I'm able to skip around for a pre-ride lap. I know the course from last time, so I just take note of the slippery sections. This was also the first time with my new Ibis 740mm handlebar, which I was worried if it was too wide. Feel pretty good and line up. Run into all my new singlespeed friends, Chase who's been busy racing track bikes, Rich who just came back from a Eurotrip-like vacation, Charles who doesn't want to pay the parking fee and parks at a school and rides in. Seems like it will be a fun ride.
Theres about 10 of us or so, so knowing half the field is always fun. We are let off and its apparent Rich has a larger gear, Chase slightly larger than me. In typical SS fashion, I just rolled 33x18 and said "fuck it". It should be okay enough.
I'm immediately gapped in the parking lot start into the single track. You can only spin so fast. I stay on it as hard as I can. Rich is out and we can only hope that his type in Belgium will catch up with him and he will completely bonk. Chase is my race. I would say I'm about 3-4 seconds behind him. Far enough that when he passes someone, I can't just say "me too!". So each time he passes someone I have to take some risks to make up the time I just lost. It was a interesting game. The corners were wet in some spots and with some wooden bridges, you wanted to play it extra safe, but at the same time, didn't want to eat shit over a bridge.
With all the leap frogging over the geared riders the gap is staying pretty much the same. We head to the biggest climb, Goat Hill, which is pretty steep on a geared bike, and very much a balancing act on the singlespeed. I didn't pre-ride this so I was going in blind but was able to balance my way up to it, and all the way to Chase's wheel. He asks if I want to go by but know that it isn't the time. I roll with him down the descent. Sadly it is the only good part of the race I was able to capture:
He is faster with his 27.5+ with fork on the descents and flats, but on the uphills and single track I'm able to make up time. We head into a trail called Toilet Bowl as it as a toilet bowl in it. very narrow with tons of growth and greasy. A couple times we get crossed up and lose traction on some of the wet roots and have to jog a little. We roll the rest of the lap together.
At this point I know my only hope is to put in a effort on Goat Hill and get out of sight. I just need to stick with him all the way to that point. I'm happy I wore my Camelbak because it's impossible to drink. I can't tell if Chase is dying or just saving his energy. I feel a little more relaxed the second lap, maybe because I feel confident at single speed race pace on this stuff now. Right as we hit the climb to Goat, Chase asks if I want to come by. Well, that was easy. I give it all I got and make the climb, and I have a gap. Unsure if it is enough, I bury myself on the descent and the next short, false flat climb. I'm by myself here.
I kind of go into safe mode and make sure I do not make any mistakes, a game plan that pays off in greasy races. If you can stay on the bike and make no mistakes, it's usually pretty hard to get caught. Through Toilet Bowl I'm not losing my rear wheel and make all the sections I didn't make on the first lap. I peak back and think I see someone who is a geared rider, but it is actually someone in my class. Rut roh.
As soon as I see him I turn off safe mode and let a little more hang out on each rooty climb. As soon as I do this, I hear a tire slip and I can only imagine it being the rider who was chasing me taking a risk on the wet roots. I can only spin 33x18 so fast, but I do not see him as I get out of the trail into the last section of single track. Come up on some more geared riders who are battling for a position and just as I get comfy to sit in and watch this battle on the last stretch of double track, the dude breaks his chain, ouch. Thankfully I was far enough back on the steep uphill to not get hung up. Safely roll through the last section of tight trees with the wide bars and cross the line in second place.
Rich ended up rolling in at 58:21, and I finished in 1:01. It looks like he hit the deck once but it didn't matter, between the tango of 2nd/3rd, he was able to push that bigger gear on the flats and it seemed to make the difference. As always, you can second guess your gear choice but I don't think I would have made the Goat climb with a harder gear.
The most interesting part of this race is that I was faster on the rigid bike on some of the longer segments. I mean sure, I may be forced to climb faster on it, but I didn't think the up hill gains would balance out to be faster with the downhill ones. Other segments, the Scalpel or my fitness was much much better. Also the fact that my heart rate averaged 185bpm for an hour, with 197 max. I haven't seen a max that high in a while. I guess that is what one gear does to you.
And instead of Monday morning bike hangovers, it's Thursday. Strange.
This place looks great. I can see why you love it. There was not 1 pedal stoke through that whole video. That I can do...
I'm always amazed at how many details you can remember.
I can only remember to breathe.
Miss You
I can only remember to breathe.
Miss You
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
6 Hours of Lake Norman
I started this race like every other endurance race, hard AF. but on the singlespeed, you can only go so hard. I always try to be Audi 5000 so people forget about me. I see the leader of our class and stick with him for the first half of the lap until I feel super strong and decide to let it all hang out and make a move in this big group we are sitting in on a downhill fire road. Most of the gear people pass me after we almost miss the turn to dump back on the road, but I do not see the other SSer at all. Cool. Blow through laps 1 and 2 without stopping since I'm rolling with my camelbak and things feel good. I'm riding smooth and keeping a decent pace. The main problem is I'm by myself, yo-yo'ing with a couple of the team racers as they pass the pits, but finding myself in that zone and talking to myself. Maybe I can win? I wonder what I'll have for dinner, that kind of thing. I keep peeking back but still, nobody. I must be going fast enough?
Towards the end of the 4th lap (10 miles per lap) I'm caught by 2nd and 3rd in my category. How rare. That is where a bulk of the video I uploaded will be, mostly because I don't want to edit too much of it. Ahmet and Jeff. They connect and we chat, and I can only go as fast as I'm going now. Hard to tell if the wheels are coming off or I was just bored, but this sparks some new interest. Ahmet comes around and decides to roll with the lead, and keeps a pace I can deal with. It was fun to be rolling with people again. We dump out onto the road where we coast downhill and right before I get to the road, my chain falls off. WTF? I think a combo of a strange bump/pedal/oval ring made a bizzare situation where it came off. This kind of sucked.
I jump off and throw it back on without checking it, knowing the pits are up ahead. These dudes are all heavier than me and I have no shot in closing a gap on a downhill road. So I just relax and regain my shit. I can join back up in the pits.
I don't see Jeff but I see Ahmet, and I goto my cooler and grab a waffle. I made the stupid mistake of not tearing all of my stuff I was going to eat before hand, so I'm sitting here with riding gloves trying to tear a package open. Not good. Probably takes 20-30 seconds for me to figure it out and get this rolling. In that time I see Ahmet pass by me and he's off to the races. I jump back on and see if I can catch back on before the fire road, but I don't see him. He's gone. My motivation drops to an all time low and I can just hope to see them keeping the pace I have left. I roll around and after 48 minutes, I see nobody.
The part I raced and felt good: https://www.strava.com/activities/973830867
I come into the pit after this 5th lap and I'm kind of defeated. I debate bagging it and realizing those guys are OUT. What am I going to go back out for? I mosey around the pits, have a soda, Clif bar, and check the live results that get posted. I'm in third by a good mark. Not good enough to call it quits, but enough that if I go out for another lap, I will be good. I gear myself back up, grab a bottle and roll out. I have no intentions on going fast here, just keep moving forward.
I stop at one point and take a nature break and make sure the group thats coming up behind me all have gears. The weird part about this trail is minus a few downhills and rocks, it's hard to remember where the F you are. No landmarks or anything.
I dump out onto the road and coast into the finish and see Mandi and Jackson at the finish, so that was a nice surprised. Sadly I was calling it quits and I wouldn't go back out, so we hung out and watched the finish of our SS race.
Zombie Lap - https://www.strava.com/activities/973906248
The races work differently here than other lap races, you have to finish by the 6th hour. That means if you go out for a lap and come across at 6:00:01, it doesn't count.
We see Jeff come across after his 7th lap with 5:08, and after running a last lap of 46m, calls it quits. Ahmet comes in a minute later and we expect him to call it quits but he blows right past and is going for it. Talk about drama. Jeff is already a beer in and we shoot the shit. Does he really have the desire to finish the 8th lap?
Well, he did, with 4 minutes to spare, winning our group. It was pretty damn impressive.
Me? I'm happy with how I felt. Wheels fell off around 3:30 of "racing" and while I wasn't completely cooked, this is the devil of lap races. If I was in the middle of the woods I would have kept going to survive, but to torture myself on the same loop over and over again, ugh. This ride made me feel better about the Pisgah race in two weeks.
WEEEEEEE
team peezys
I stood on a box with my kid again and I got a mug and $25.
I started this race like every other endurance race, hard AF. but on the singlespeed, you can only go so hard. I always try to be Audi 5000 so people forget about me. I see the leader of our class and stick with him for the first half of the lap until I feel super strong and decide to let it all hang out and make a move in this big group we are sitting in on a downhill fire road. Most of the gear people pass me after we almost miss the turn to dump back on the road, but I do not see the other SSer at all. Cool. Blow through laps 1 and 2 without stopping since I'm rolling with my camelbak and things feel good. I'm riding smooth and keeping a decent pace. The main problem is I'm by myself, yo-yo'ing with a couple of the team racers as they pass the pits, but finding myself in that zone and talking to myself. Maybe I can win? I wonder what I'll have for dinner, that kind of thing. I keep peeking back but still, nobody. I must be going fast enough?
Towards the end of the 4th lap (10 miles per lap) I'm caught by 2nd and 3rd in my category. How rare. That is where a bulk of the video I uploaded will be, mostly because I don't want to edit too much of it. Ahmet and Jeff. They connect and we chat, and I can only go as fast as I'm going now. Hard to tell if the wheels are coming off or I was just bored, but this sparks some new interest. Ahmet comes around and decides to roll with the lead, and keeps a pace I can deal with. It was fun to be rolling with people again. We dump out onto the road where we coast downhill and right before I get to the road, my chain falls off. WTF? I think a combo of a strange bump/pedal/oval ring made a bizzare situation where it came off. This kind of sucked.
I jump off and throw it back on without checking it, knowing the pits are up ahead. These dudes are all heavier than me and I have no shot in closing a gap on a downhill road. So I just relax and regain my shit. I can join back up in the pits.
I don't see Jeff but I see Ahmet, and I goto my cooler and grab a waffle. I made the stupid mistake of not tearing all of my stuff I was going to eat before hand, so I'm sitting here with riding gloves trying to tear a package open. Not good. Probably takes 20-30 seconds for me to figure it out and get this rolling. In that time I see Ahmet pass by me and he's off to the races. I jump back on and see if I can catch back on before the fire road, but I don't see him. He's gone. My motivation drops to an all time low and I can just hope to see them keeping the pace I have left. I roll around and after 48 minutes, I see nobody.
The part I raced and felt good: https://www.strava.com/activities/973830867
I come into the pit after this 5th lap and I'm kind of defeated. I debate bagging it and realizing those guys are OUT. What am I going to go back out for? I mosey around the pits, have a soda, Clif bar, and check the live results that get posted. I'm in third by a good mark. Not good enough to call it quits, but enough that if I go out for another lap, I will be good. I gear myself back up, grab a bottle and roll out. I have no intentions on going fast here, just keep moving forward.
I stop at one point and take a nature break and make sure the group thats coming up behind me all have gears. The weird part about this trail is minus a few downhills and rocks, it's hard to remember where the F you are. No landmarks or anything.
I dump out onto the road and coast into the finish and see Mandi and Jackson at the finish, so that was a nice surprised. Sadly I was calling it quits and I wouldn't go back out, so we hung out and watched the finish of our SS race.
Zombie Lap - https://www.strava.com/activities/973906248
The races work differently here than other lap races, you have to finish by the 6th hour. That means if you go out for a lap and come across at 6:00:01, it doesn't count.
We see Jeff come across after his 7th lap with 5:08, and after running a last lap of 46m, calls it quits. Ahmet comes in a minute later and we expect him to call it quits but he blows right past and is going for it. Talk about drama. Jeff is already a beer in and we shoot the shit. Does he really have the desire to finish the 8th lap?
Well, he did, with 4 minutes to spare, winning our group. It was pretty damn impressive.
Me? I'm happy with how I felt. Wheels fell off around 3:30 of "racing" and while I wasn't completely cooked, this is the devil of lap races. If I was in the middle of the woods I would have kept going to survive, but to torture myself on the same loop over and over again, ugh. This ride made me feel better about the Pisgah race in two weeks.
WEEEEEEE
team peezys
I stood on a box with my kid again and I got a mug and $25.
Last edited:
rsinger814
Well-Known Member
Congrats on the podium! It's hard to stick with it when you mentally decide you are done. But great job at gearing back up and staying after it!
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
thanks bros. i mean i still sort of "quit" but knew nothing was going to change result wise... 70 miles on the SS sounds better than 60, but suffering for nothing but bragging rights wasn't in the cards today
Some frown on the baby on the podium, but F it. It will be awesome to look back at these photos years from now.
Here's my race footy i gots, the middle portion has the last time I saw the eventual leader/2nd place.
pardon the spec of mud, i kept wanting to scratch it off my monitor when i was putting it together
Some frown on the baby on the podium, but F it. It will be awesome to look back at these photos years from now.
Here's my race footy i gots, the middle portion has the last time I saw the eventual leader/2nd place.
pardon the spec of mud, i kept wanting to scratch it off my monitor when i was putting it together
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Nice write up and congrats. If there is one thing I really like about endurance racing, it's figuring out the "math" of effort each time - when to challenge the front runners, when to let them go and gamble that you'll see them again, working out how many laps you can fit in and if you can get that last one before the cutoff. That's the fun of these kind of races: sometimes patience and staying calm when everyone else is running like a stampede pays off. There have been times I've gotten that really wrong, but when it works it's the best feeling.