Twice in a Lifetime
One can measure the joy of an event in a number of ways. In the case of a bike race you might find joy in winning, or beating a previous time. You might find it in merely surviving.
In the case of Sister's Stampede, I found joy in, well, not getting lost this year. I also found joy in the cooler day and not baking to death. I was also pleasantly surprised that I did substantially better than I expected. 14 out of 21 may not be great by most people's standards but it's the closest to a mid-pack finish I've had in Cat II since pretty much as long as I can remember. It was the first race I've had this year that I could really race too. It rained the night before so it was a fast, tacky course with no dust. It was also a single lap so there was less overlap in categories. There was a lot of bunching at the front of the categories but 8 or 9 minutes back we had room to breathe and courtesy informed all the passes. It was also my first time on the long course and my word! What a fun, fast trail system! You couldn't not have a good time. People were whooping and hollering ahead of me and behind me as we swept through the open forest. Accelerating out of corners I felt ageless and fast.
And when I finished the race Carolyn and my mom were waiting for me.
And that, I think was the most joyous thing of all. Because my mom had only seen me finish one other mountain bike race. It was 23 years ago.
In a year when many of my racing friends are cheering on their kids in their first races, I got to experience what their kids are experiencing. While a bit socially awkward if you're trying to pass yourself off as a seasoned veteran, it is nonetheless quite an amazing experience. As I look at these photos, I'm reminded that some truths endure through the years:
In the case of Sister's Stampede, I found joy in, well, not getting lost this year. I also found joy in the cooler day and not baking to death. I was also pleasantly surprised that I did substantially better than I expected. 14 out of 21 may not be great by most people's standards but it's the closest to a mid-pack finish I've had in Cat II since pretty much as long as I can remember. It was the first race I've had this year that I could really race too. It rained the night before so it was a fast, tacky course with no dust. It was also a single lap so there was less overlap in categories. There was a lot of bunching at the front of the categories but 8 or 9 minutes back we had room to breathe and courtesy informed all the passes. It was also my first time on the long course and my word! What a fun, fast trail system! You couldn't not have a good time. People were whooping and hollering ahead of me and behind me as we swept through the open forest. Accelerating out of corners I felt ageless and fast.
And when I finished the race Carolyn and my mom were waiting for me.
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| Aw mom... |
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| Williams Lake NY 1989 or 90 |
In a year when many of my racing friends are cheering on their kids in their first races, I got to experience what their kids are experiencing. While a bit socially awkward if you're trying to pass yourself off as a seasoned veteran, it is nonetheless quite an amazing experience. As I look at these photos, I'm reminded that some truths endure through the years:
- No matter what I'm riding or what I'm wearing, I will always look like a dork on a bike
- Lycra seat covers ruled
- Toe clips will never go out of fashion
- Neither will day-glow windbreakers
- Mom will always be proud of me
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