Riding High and Checking in!

There is something to be said for putting your all into something and having it pay significant dividends. Whether it be emotional, physical, or just plan putting it all out there and seeing what happens with no expectations. A lot has happened since my last posting so I will try to sum it all up to get up to speed since the past couple of days have been a whirl wind!

Saturday's ride was hard and fast, like kirsten said I was bounding up the hills like they were stairs in our house and trying to find every hill possible on our route to tackle...fully knowing that a 100 mile ride was on tap the next day didn't stop me either....eeesh I need to take my own advice every now and again! I completely roasted my self for the 100 miler the next day and from about mile 5 until mile 92 it was a complete struggle to even pedal. Not too good for a 100 miler to feel like crap at mile 5.

I just took it at my own pace and let Kirsten and TJ do their thing. We can't all have good days on the bike everyday, but sometimes you just have to stick it out which is what I did. At one point I tried to have a good attitude and when TJ dropped his odowalla bar I went back for it for him. I put it in my mouth and rode up next to him...as he reached for it I started growling like a little dog and barking at him as if you were trying to take away a play toy from your dog...you had to be there but it definitely cheered me up and lightened the mood of the ride. TJ and Kirsten decided to irritate me even more on this extremely difficult ride by taking the Mass. Ave hill on the way back (comes near the end of the ride) so I faded back before making the right up the start of the climb and had a little "talk" with myself....I decided that I had to see if this funk was mental...or really physical. So I dropped it a couple gears at the start and set catching up to Kirsten as the goal...once I caught her I went full sprint standing up and everything to catch TJ....I caught him near the crest of the hill but it looked like I was having a heart attack on the bike I am sure...not pretty....but effective...TJ didn't like that so dropped it past me on the slight downhill and we never saw him again....at that point I knew it was physical because I had nothing left after that little sprint at mile 85 or so...Kirsten and TJ had enough energy to swim but I was done for and fell asleep immediately after they left and woke to a haze only shortly before they got back!

Anyway, a proposal on Monday/Tues kept me busy at work all the while checking updates on our RAAM team Xtreme4 (Read their race blog here)and calling in to see how things were going. The finish party got me off work yesterday early so I could get all set up and buy all the burgers and beer to welcome them back...they loved the burgers, but who doesn't like fresh burgers from Eastern Market! Seeing them finish was awesome and the smiles on their faces were priceless. They had battled it out with the Ireland team since Ohio, made a couple wrong turns, and ended up coming in behind them by ONE MINUTE! Heartbreaking you say? Not entirely...they rocked RAAM as rookies and shattered the Mixed 4 Person Team Record, won their category by an astounding 300+ miles, and took 3rd overall out of ALL four person teams (missing 2nd by that one minute)....a success for a first time crew and riders wouldn't you say?

I got to douse them in champagne at the finish and then see them crash hard as we relieved them their duties and drove the vehicles home for them. We were all so caught up in the finish that we forgot Erik crawled up into the Bat Cave above the cab to catch some sleep on the drive back. When we got back all of us in the RV totally forgot about him...he emailed this morning telling us all that he woke up someplace unexpected...THE RV!!! WHOOPS! The funniest part was that he was still in RAAM mode and wondered where everyone was only to think that we had stopped for gas! Ha ha! It just made me want to do RAAM next year even more...I don't know if I could ride as hard as they did...but I want that experience for sure.

Kirsten has already given her blessing for me to do it as rider or crew...but she hasn't made up her mind as to whether or not she wants to even be a part of it. I understand why and don't blame her. 14 people in an RV for 6 days on no sleep and intensity beyond belief...that can make it or break it. Whatever she chooses I will respect it...but it would be damn awesome to have her as a team mate first...and a crew member 2nd...she is tough as nails and would push the team with her positivity and intensity for sure. She doesn't promote that she is very competitive, but those who know her, including her loving husband, know that if presented with it...she would be the most competitive spirit in the bunch and help drive the team in a positive way and be an invaluable addition either way. Plus, I think she might have a bit of fun along the way as well ;)

I mean really...wild horses running along side you through New Mexico, climbing the rockies at night with out having seen a car in hours, and who wouldn't want to see the entire US in 6 days from a combination of an RV/Bike anyway...where do I sign up for next year?