Some Final Thoughts from the Race

When you are out on the bike for 5 and a half hours your mind tends to wander between dodging trees, squirells, hikers, and the occasional turtle. Sometimes it is just how much fun you are having. Sometimes you wonder why you are choosing to spend your Saturday morning waking up early and deciding to ride 50 miles in the end of August. One good thing that everyone always has after a ride like this is a story.

The talking of the best part of the trail in which you rode smooth as butter through, or just commenting what a great place for a race the Whitewater Center is if you have never been there. Another thing that first time racers finally understand is the mountain bike community. There was no shortage of people offering up assistance to help in any way. A guy I did some Southern Classic series didn't have any support crew or a tent to rest up in. Without hesitating I offered him space in ours and even pimped out one of my own pit crew (Erin) to help him exchange water bottles. After all was said and done he helped me out by offering to carry some of the gear up to the car.

This sort of helping each other out community is what makes this sport great. Like the racers who helped the injured riders off the course even though they sacraficed their own time to do it.

Ok, enough with the gushy stuff, heres what people came to see. Great minds in action.



Yeah, this guy was his own doctor and prescribed some IV fluids for himself. The irony was that he was only doing the duo race. Really? IV for only 25 miles and you call yourself a mountain biker? Wuss. Man up and cramp up like a man. Thank you Burrower for those quality pictures.

So after the race I was dying for a beer. Ok, I was just thirsty but didn't want to drink so we at some early dinner at the Rivers Edge Cafe. I was hungry but didn't want to eat. Thirsty but didn't want to drink. The whole body shutting down thing came into play. Gross fact here. I wasn't able to go to the bathroom until 6 at night even though I kept downing fluids like a mad man. 9 hours total. Told you it was gross. So struggling through eating my burger even though I was hungry we made plans to head up to Birkdale at the Fox and Hound.

After salivating over the food in which I wanted but didn't have the stomach to eat I was able to down a few beers. That gave me a good buzz. I also was pounding down water like it was going out of style. Apprently the waitress got a little frustrated with Dan and I's constant request to refill water until the Burrower put her in her place and told her that we had a big day. As if she couldnt read the shirts.

Yeah, we were those guys with the matching shirts at the bar. If someone didn't like it, F*$% them, we deserved the shirts. Oh, and after that the waitress became a little more friendly. She must have just figured out we were studs.

Oh, and here is one with the Burrower wearing my John Casey (yeah thats right, the kicker) jersey.

Thats pretty much all I can think of at this point about the race. Not to bad considering it probably took me a few hours less to write this series than actually ride in the race. Of course next year I am hopeing to change that. I think I am done writing for the week as tomorrow is the start of the weekend and will be off drinking beer, and then a 3 day labor day weekend in which I am going down to the original dirty south, the ATL. Still debating on if I am taking the bike down there to ride. Let me know if I should take it, all votes that come in will count double against my better judgement.