Minnesota 400 Recap

I never did get around to writing a race recap from the RAAM Challenge Minnesota 400. If I had written one the outline for the recap would have looked something like this
Before the start of the race

• "I can't stop shivering. Why is it so cold?"
• "Can I have some Aleve? I feel like I've been hit by a truck"
• "Can I have your thermal jacket?"

The remainder of the race

• "Can I have some Aleve?"
• "I'm so cold"
• "I hate expansion joints"
• "Can I have some Aleve?"
• "Dane, why did you just drive into the side of that building? There was a perfectly good drawbridge to cross."
• "Can I have some Aleve?"
• "Was that a raccoon?"
• "Watch out for alligators"
• "Can I have some Aleve"

The longer the race went on, the more frequently I was asking for it as the fever continued to wear on me. Thankfully for my internal organs, the crew followed Bayer's recommended usage guidelines for Aleve. I am also thankful my sister put together this video recap of the race so I don't actually have to write it.

Merry Go Round

Are you going to ride today? How far do you want to go? Where do you want to go? If you are like me, you have asked these questions of yourself or others more than once in your life. A lot of times, these questions lead to the merry-go-round of "I don't care. What do you want to do?"

Sure you could always go ride the same old routes and roads you always do. Or you could expand your horizons and try something new. You could do this systematically by choosing roads you have ridden before and linking those others in a combination you hadn't tried before. The other option would be to allow your inner 5 year old to dictate where you ride and for what distance. This is the simpliest way and more times than not leads to the most scenic rides.

On Monday, I gave my inner 5 year old this opportunity. The only comment I made to him as I handed him the crayon and map was that he had to avoid Hull St, Midlothian Tnpk and Broad St. All other roads were fair game and if he had never heard of the road before, it most likely hasn't been heard of by many other motorists either.

A digital crayon and a map

For the last couple of weeks, my cycling has incorporated a bit of world history thanks to the coverage of the Tour de France. Even though the Tour was on a rest day, this ride would be no different. Along my way to the Center of the Universe, I passed by Patrick Henry's home where he lived while serving as the first governor of Virginia, Scotchtown. While riding by, I wondered if the French were as inspired by the acts of those who once lived in the "chateaus" they rode by on a daily. I would imagine, yes.

After passing by Scotchtown it was time visit two of the fable sisters in the area before arriving in the Center of the Universe and turning back toward the shop for a rare Monday afternoon shift at the shop. 110 miles later and off the bike, my internal delight shined bright enough to penetrate the tired and hot look of my exterior.

Before your next ride, will you allow yourself to get on the merry-go-round or will you hand over the crayon?

Will I have a crew?

With my plans growing more and more advantageous each year, the art of planning and logistics has been the hardest hurdle to overcome. I started planning for the 2013 season back during the holidays of 2012. Many questions come up during the planning stage. Which races will I do? Who will be available to crew these races? These were two biggest questions I had to answer.

Unfortunately, I knew that one of the races I wanted to do would mean I would need to find a few new members to crew for me as my parents would not be able to travel with me to Minnesota in August. Jenn's father and mother in-law volunteered to go in their place.

Planning early has many advantages, one of which is the great sense of relief you feel once a plan has been laid into place. That is until life gets in the way and plans are forced to adapt. With my fitness at an all time high, I was starting to worry whether I would make it to Minnesota with a full crew when unforseen work obligations would keep Ken and Elizabeth from being able to travel. That was until, one day while at work I was granted one of the most selfless gifts ever. Dane (aka Thin Mint) came into the shop and told me that he and Lindsey (aka L to the B soon to be K) were going to defer their race enteries for the same weekend in order to come help me out.

A few weeks ago during the prerace press conference for this year's Race Across America, Marko Baloh stated "It's kinda strange to think of 9 people working hard for me to have fun." More perfect words couldn't have been choosen in describing a racers gratitude towards their crews.

With that being said, I'm excited to introduce everyone to the newest edition of my support crew.

My best friend and wife, Jenn will be returning to the crew vehicle after declaring it was easier in the car than being back at home.

My sister Becky will be back after making her debut in Texas.

Thin Mint and L to the B Soon to be K (Dane and Lindsey)

Another first in 2013

The Capitol to Capitol century better known as the Cap2Cap has been a staple for many riders in the Central Va region for years. Starting in Williamsburg or Richmond, the terrain is the same gorgeous scenery and flat roads. Whether it be in the 15, 25, 50 or 100 mile option, it's a great opportunity for riders to test their Spring legs with what sometimes is a personal "record" for distance. This year I would ride with my father-in-law who wanted to take his first attempt at doing just that for the 100 mile ride.

Dane, Ken and I before the start

There was some worry in the days leading up to the ride about the weather which included a high chance of rain. The exact opposite of that occurred and Mother Nature blessed us with a cool to warm partly cloudy day for us to enjoy.
After the first few feedzones, the groups thinned out which allowed us to go about our business of enjoying the ride for both the scenery and company of the friends you are riding with. We would make it down to the turn around a few minutes shy of 2.5 hours. There Ken and Dane refilled bottles while I waited for a port-a-potty to open up. Based on the amount of time I had to wait, I was extremely nervous to enter not knowing what kind of biohazard would smack me in the face as I opened the door. Somehow I survived without the use of a mask and we were back on the road again.

The return trip home was very similar to the trip down to Williamsburg, with the exception of a slight headwind and cramps developing in Ken's legs. At the next feedzone, I stuffed my pocket full of bananas as the volunteers looked at me as if I was part orangutan. We got back on the road where I would launch an offensive in the Battle of Ken's Cramps. First I gave him a Green Apple flavored powergel. The look on his face was priceless as he tried to choke down the gel. There I learned where Jenn got her dislike for food based on texture from and it wasn't from her momma.

I clearly need to clean my camera lens

Close to twenty minutes later, I reached into my pocket full of bananas and handed him one. The second time I handed him one he argued that he didn't like bananas. He ate it anyway. The cramps retreated for awhile before making their last stand about 20 miles from the finish. Like a good son-in-law, I reached into my other pocket which was full of powergels and grabbed a raspberry gel and handed it to him. Because, I know and appreciate that my crew lies to me to keep me motivated to eat and moving forward during the longer races, I did just that for him. "This one is good, I promise", I stated. Like a trooper, he sucked it down with the same look on his face. There the Battle of Ken's Cramps was won as we would soon arrive back to Rockett's Landing with his first century under his belt.

Five years ago, I had the opportunity and pleasure to ride with Jenn in her first century. Congratulations Ken and thank you for letting me have the privilege of riding with you for yours!