The Finale

The weekend has come and gone, taking the North Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League season with it.  Kids from all over the state headed down to Brunswick Nature Park in Leland, NC (near Wilmington) to finish off the season strong.  My weekend started with me trying to get out of town on Friday during rush hour (not fun), and making the almost four hour drive to get to my hotel.

When I got in it was late, so I grabbed some food and beverage with little time for anything else.  Tried to go to bed early, but I tossed and turned all night because I was excited about being a part of the league and putting on the last race (I also don't sleep well when I'm traveling.)  Anyway, the next morning I was up early and made the fifteen minute drive over to the park.

They were waiting for us...

I hadn't been down there in almost four years, when Eastwood and I decided to do a six hour race out there.  I knew it was a cool park, and I was happy to be back.  Everyone got right to work and we all pitched in to make sure things got done.  Even though the park has plenty to do, we were only there for one purpose.  Still, that didn't stop me from having thoughts about enjoying what the rest of the park had to offer.

I saw these folks and for a brief second I wanted to join in...

But I did not.  I worked to help get more kids on bikes and to make great race for them.  I also took pictures of other people working...

There is a lot to get done for these races, and luckily for me most of my time can be spent out on the trail.

Coastal NC reminds me a lot of Florida, so I felt right at home.

At one point, I passed by the spot where the kayak people were heading.  I figured I should stop and check it out.

Reminds me of where I started right many moons ago.  I dig it.

We eventually finished setup and it was time to call it a day.  A few of us went out (maybe I'll talk about that another time.)  Once again I tried to get some sleep and failed miserably.  Six o'clock the next morning I was back at it, but this time it was race day.

I am usually really busy while the races are in progress so I take very few photos.  My spot during this one was away from the action so I really didn't get squat.  Go check out the North Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League Facebook Page and you will find lots though.

I did get to wander around a bit to take a few photos though.  Here's a shot of the team trophies, which were made (out of recycled bike parts) by Little Miss Sunshine:

And I also saw lots of cool DeFeet socks...

Yeah, those are cool and all that, but thanks to my friends out there in the hills (and my kid, Lunchbox for the art), there were lots of new socks made just for our league...

So, race day was crazy.  A huge rainstorm came through during the high school boys race and soaked us all.  It didn't matter, because everyone was having fun (and those trails are actually fine in the rain.)  Once the rain went away and we packed up the course/infield, the awards ceremony began...

And after the awards, the race staff decided to pay a tribute to the founder and League Director, Mike Long...

What an awesome day and a terrific series.  I am so happy that I got a chance to be a part of this.  We all did a great job, but it's really the kids that made the difference.  I can't wait to get back to it next season.  But as this season came to a close, I found myself looking forward not to the drive home, but to what we will do next.

It was a long drive back to Charlotte, but I had plenty of time to think about what we'd accomplished and how we can make it even better next time.  It's really amazing how much work we put in and how rewarding it was.  

I don't even care if I never race again, because this is so much better.

The Longest Day

Five o’clock in the morning seems to be much earlier on a weekend for some reason.  I had no choice to get up that early to make it in time to the start of the Brunswick Brawl, and even though Lunchbox did have a choice, he was up with me.  We loaded up the bikes and headed three and a half hours southeast down near Wilmington to the Brunswick Nature Park, where Eastwood and his better half had already staked a claim on a primo pit location.  I knew it was gonna be a good day, since I had fueled up on the way down.

 Shhh, it’s my secret weapon.  I planned to lay a cloud of stink all over my competition.

Registration was quick and painless, even with the sweet new tattoo they gave me.

 Photo credit from here on out:  Lunchbox

Before I knew it I was getting ready…

And it was time for the pre-race meeting.

It was the same old instructions for pretty much every race I’ve ever done, so I started looking around for alligators.  I didn’t want a mean one to sneak up on me on the course.  They didn’t say anything about that in the meeting but I was concerned just the same.  Mama says alligators are ornery because they got all them teeth and no toothbrush. 

This guy said it’s because they have an enlarged medulla oblongata.

No Colonel Sanders, you’re wrong.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, it was time to go.  A few minutes after ten, we took off.  I told Eastwood prior to the start not to get caught up in all that “racing”, and to just find his own pace.  What I should’ve told him was to “not do the dumb shit I do.”  I spun like crazy to get up in the front of the pack, which was apparently too quick for Lunchbox to get a photo of me.

I went into the woods up near the front, my only goal being to make people work to get around me.  A few people with gears did just that when they could, but I was moving along pretty quick in the woods.  It was too quick though, because pretty soon I saw Eastwood pulling up behind me just as I was starting to slow down.  I was already worn out, my body shocked from putting out so much effort without being ready for it.  I pushed it even harder though, and eventually I found my groove.  I was trying to be careful since I didn’t know the trail, but I was still quite reckless.

I passed a few people here and there, and a few passed me.  I was holding my own on too small of a gear and on unfamiliar trail.  Before I knew it (about forty minutes later), I was on the fire road and nearly finished with lap one.  I had only consumed half of a water bottle, so I decided I wouldn’t stop at the pit.  I blasted by and got ready to hit the now familiar trail.

I settled into a good pace, pedaling the whole time since it was pretty flat.  There were barely any climbs that required standing, so I was in for a long day in the saddle.  Lap two was about the same pace, and by that time I had finally finished one water bottle.  I passed the pit again (at a little under the hour and a half mark), tossing my empty bottle in the grass nearby. 

Lap three was just the same, except that we were a little more spread out.  Once in a while someone with gears would fly by, and occasionally I would pass someone just a bit slower than me.  I was feeling pretty damn awesome with three laps in, and with another half of a water bottle consumed I blew by the pit again and headed out for lap number four. 

That’s when my fast pace started to get to me.  I didn't think I was really slowing down, and I could definitely feel the effects of spending all that time in the saddle spinning like crazy.  My neck was getting a little tight from taking a beating with the rigid fork (it was kinda rooty out there), and I was starting to get a wee bit tired.  I ate a couple of Honey Stinger shots when I had the chance, and finished the rest of my second bottle.  I tried not to slow down anymore, and when I got on the last section of singletrack I saw my kid there waiting for me.

Four laps in, and I had been out there a little under three hours.  I was on pace for eight laps, but since I was out of water I had to stop for a refill.  I took that opportunity to eat a little more, and with all that shit sloshing around in my stomach I hopped back in the saddle and took off again.

This time just a little bit slower. 

I was halfway through, and hoping like hell I had it in me to keep up such a ridiculous pace to finish.  My legs felt pretty good still, and even that pesky shoulder injury didn’t bother me.  With the cheers of the bystanders near the star/finish line firing me up, I gunned it through the woods on lap number five.

I was a just a little tired, probably like you are of today’s post.

I’ll finish up tomorrow.