The Spin Mafia Ride

Today was it, the day that the girls affectionately known as "Ham on Wheels" had to meet up with the Mafia boys to deliver the goods. All good, except for the fact that the air was soupy thick, the heat was rising, and dumb ass me, left my inhaler at home. Sense a wee bit of anxiety here?

I knew things were going to go good when the ride behavior announcement happened. I really don't know why more rides don't do this. And, do it up front. How hard is it to state what the behaviour is on a particular ride? Don't want people riding on the wrong side of the road? Say so! (That Thursday night ride I did sure as hell could have been improved by a few people riding safer, let me tell you!)

Anyways, the Spin Mafia guys and gals were wonderful. Julie got one of those rare flats, and Cliff and I dropped back to help her. We got a little up the road and the phone rang, and Katie told us that she was dropping back. Before we got to her, Mafia John was there to pace us back up to her, and Maria/Gwynne. Riding behind John... words can't express. He is smooth, oh, so smooth. It was like riding on rails. Good on you John, the Rostello girls LOOOOVE you!

Come on now... how many rides would send a trusted lieutenant back to shepherd the newbies on the ride back into the fold? Now I know Powhattan, but I really doubt that I could have remembered how to get back to the start point from where we were!

And thanks Don for the entertaining dog chase! It's not often that we get harassed by such a fierce guardian of his domain. Mighty mite little dog made damn sure that we kept going while his back up looked on from a safer vantage point, on the porch.

All I needed for a perfect day, was a push to get my big butt up that last hill. Criminy, it's just mean to go up, then slow, then turn left, and go up MORE! Protection should come with pushes, you know?

Thanks, ya'll for a wonderful morning. The Rostello girls tip our helmets to you!

Behold The Power of Meat

So last night we go out and do a nice ride thru the wilds of Goochland, Hanover, and Louisa. All good. Ok, maybe the smoke from those fires in NC wasn't good... We had a minor dog chase, some good company, and had some nice fast stretches.

We get back to Camp Runamuck and the guys abandon us. Yeah, left me and J high and dry. So what are two lonely women left on their own going to do? Yep, we went off to the Barrelthief for a nice dinner, and some luscious wine. What is really cool about this place is that it is a full service wine store, complete with 12 special wines a week that you can do tastings of. Just pop in, and drink away... They have a small kitchen that puts out really nice salads, small plates and sandwiches. Best yet, you see a bottle of wine that you like, and you can drink it there- no inflated restaurant wine prices and NO corkage fee.

Yum. You got to try this lovely rose' 2007 C. dePeyrassol Cd Provence Rose'. Light, luscious, just off -sweet. It went perfectly with my mango/shrimp skewers and J's veggie wrap. Being the respectful people we are, we both had a glass out of the bottle and got the rest of the bottle bagged to go.

Have I mentioned that Julie has a serious need for speed? Or that her right foot weighs more than her whole body? There we were, laughing on the phone with Cliff, cruising down Broad St (45 mph) and J looks at me, tells Cliff that she was about to get a ticket, and hands me the phone. Yep, there is J, going 65. So I pick up that wrapped up bottle of wine, put it in the back seat under her bike, and we prepare to get nailed for 20 mph over the speed limit...

And then, the miracle happens. I don't know how the boys did it, but somehow my protection has extended to J. I think it must have been the BUBBLES that she brought to the TT. I know the guys liked that. Or maybe it was that J is helping me bring the payoff on Saturday. Whatever it was, there was J, about to pull over, and all of a sudden the cop pulls over a mini van to our left that was going much slower than she was!

So boys, I don't know how you infiltrated the Henrico police, but I guess that protection is really paying off. J is going to pick up something extra for the ride on Saturday. Knowing her, this could be scary. If we had known that you all could keep her from getting traffic tickets, we'd have brought out the Fiorucci meat MUCH EARLIER!

Da boyz whose names end in vowels

Now that the tt is over, I have to pay my debts... See I was offered protection by the Spin Mafia if I brought them the meat. You know, just a case of the good stuff, could like fall off da truck... So now I have to pay up.

Saturday I'm heading out with J and Katie, and bringing my own version of mapquest with me (Cliff) because I don't know Dogpatch all that well. I figure, they throw me in with da fishes I'm gonna have to have someone come back around and fish me out. Either that, or take care of the dogs for me!

Now Julie tried to bargain with the boyz at the tt... she took a look down and asked them if maybe they shouldn't be bringin' the meat? Big talk for such a little slip of a thing, huh? I think this was maybe after she was plying them with the bubbles, I'm not sure.

Maybe we'll have to bring some more bubbles with us. Bubbles, salami, it all goes good together, and if we have suitable inducement for them maybe they'll let us (me) hang around them the whole ride! Some of us are more hill challenged than others, you know!

So guys, I'm comin out. Saturday 8 am. I'm bringin da meat.

Da Pictures

Graphics Goddess Jenn: Doesn't she look FIERCE! She's trying out the Julie look...
Whip Bitch Julie... Trust me, if you missed your start time, it was your fault with Julie around.
Katie and our future rock star, Kylie. She is really my daughter but we let everyone think she is Katies...
Mark Pye schlepping signs... there are no little jobs and we ended up getting most of the signs back! Good thing, signs are EXPENSIVE!
Bringing home da MEAT! From all the empty wrappers we found, most of the meat didn't make it home!

The Fat Lady Sings

Well, it's over. Geez, I'm tired.

Now that I have had a nights sleep, I'm thinking about next year all ready. Sick, aren't I...

Of course, it is the State Time Trial. Except for the turn around crew/officials stopping or slowing Laura Cook, I think things pretty well went off without a hitch. Poor Laura, there was a junior rider missing on course, she was wearing a yellow skin suit, Laura was too, so they thought that tiny little Laura was the junior until it was too late. (and yes, the junior rider was found.)

Me, I was able to turn over registration to River City racing the day of, and they did a rockin' good job. Julie's husband Dave helped Bill and Jenn do awards. Cliff and crew managed the turn around, and everything just kind of happened around me.

Which was good as I really wanted to do a good time. Try that after not sleeping for days.... I gave it my all, and got 2nd. Sharon said that she looked up at me as I went by, I was probably breathing so hard that she could hear me for miles. I was pushing a huge gear, and totally in the moment. I hope I was able to say something other than gak, or something equally unpronounceable. I had everything I had on the line.

Other people were able to say things, and there were all kind of "Go KAREN's" coming from all over the course. How other people can ride, breathe and speak is beyond me. I was not capable of it. Thanks for the encouragement guys. It really helped.

As soon as I got off the bike, Sally Swann gave me water, then a water bottle so that I could go out on the tandem with Neal. God love Neal. He literally got in from the tt course, grabbed a bottle and made a drink and we were on the road. No kidding. Gilbert was screaming for us to get on the line NOW!

So there we were... two very, very tired puppies, who had never ridden together. Neal is a fabulous partner. We started like two pros, and promptly died very shortly there after. I don't know how Bill Collins was able to ride this course last year, twice, and do both efforts under an hour. Heck, Neal and I got passed by the "fresh" tandem team in about 30 seconds. On the way back, instead of enjoying the tail wind we were enjoying serious cramps, butt aches, and fatigue.

Neal was some of the best company that I've ever bonked with. I'd ride with him again, any day. I bet he is a big enough masochist to do it again, too. Neal, you rule the world!

I zipped into the rescue squad( more like waddled) and sat down to start writing checks to get the police off the clock. Five checks, that's what I immediately had to write. It took ten to do it right. I was soooo tired. The poor officer had to watch me fumble thru check after check trying to get it right.

Then James insisted that I had to get up and change as I was drooling all over the table. I thought I was going to have to call for help. I couldn't get the shoes off. James did hold off on telling me that my shirt was on backwards for a little while, though. He also got a wash rag and cleaned me up. Thanks, stinky older brother. Not many people would get near someone who smelled as bad as I did, at least not voluntarily.

There are all kinds of wonderful stories, and great pictures out there. Blogspot wouldn't take photos this morning but we'll get some posted. Until then, go to www.bobandbj@smugmug.com and get a gander at BJ's.

I wish I could go take a nap. Work calls,
Karen

Rain Sunday?

It is really cool when you develop such a good relationship with the police dept that is going to keep the riders safe that they call you to let you know what is going on. Sheriff Bell has alerted me to road hazards, the need for an additional deputy (we have 4 on an out and back course), and that it may rain on Sunday. My big goal is always a safe race. Having an additional deputy is what I need, if I need it. So paying for it is no biggie. Rain happens. We ride in rain.

There is a lot of guff going on about races, cancellations and late fees. Putting on races is hard. No municipality wants us. As someone who used to work for the Virginia Municipal League I can tell you a bunch of reasons why. Buy me a nice Merlot someday and I'll talk your ear off. It doesn't help, either, that our events tend to last all day. Running stuff, except marathons, are over and done with pretty quick. The complaint calls are minimal. And since running races tend to concretely raise money for a charity that makes things go down a bit easier.

So there's one down. Its hard to get permits/permission to hold a race.

So where can you have races? That's becoming obvious... car race tracks. The added benefits are the courses have bathrooms, are contained, and don't require police. Trust me, it costs a whole lot less to put on a race on a race track than on an open road. I pay for the rescue squad, 4 port a potties (that makes 6 bathrooms, as I hate no bathrooms/smelly bathrooms), 4 deputies, plus officials, fees, etc... Its expensive.

I love racing at Langley and Southside Speedway. I don't want to only race at Langley and Southside Speedway. I bet you don't, either.

Wouldn't you like some nice road races in the Virginia district? Yeah? Well they cost a ton of money. Want to loose your shirt? Put on a road race. It's not just the police, moto- refs are hard to come by and the insurance is pretty dear. I can tell you of at least one club that has lost thousands of dollars on a road race.

So what do we do about it. I don't know. But I can tell you as a promoter that it really helps if people enter earlier. As we get later in the season, entries always drop off. It's a really scary thing to be looking the week before a race and see 50 entries, when your expenses will be in the multi-thousand dollar range. Some nights I sweat buckets. As with the NP team time trial last year, you have to have a point in time where you decide if the race will be a go or not. If your entries are that low, and your costs will be that high... you do the math. I realize that everyone has families, etc... try entering an Ironman the day of. Hah! They close a year in advance!

So this year I have no prize money. I have, for the last year, scoured the earth for prizes. And I like to think that I have some really nice, useful ones. The value for prizes in every category will be well above the stated amount. I couldn't risk loosing my shirt on money though. Not because I'm greedy, but because I cant bankrupt the club. Times are tough, sponsors come and go, and if you are going to be a going concern, you had better remember that.

Entry fees for bike races are actually pretty low. Don't think so? Go look at tri prices, or go to the Richmond Sportsbackers and take a gander at home much the running races are. Or how about your local mountain bike race... is it about $40 now? Its probably on a public park, with no police, and minimal costs.

What can we as bike racers do? Support races. Support promoters, and help them out. Sharon from my club is going to try to help Andy Winch get a course at Ft Eustis. She is already got a race in the works for us on Ft Lee. If we dont support each other, and support the races that cost so darn much to put on, those very races will go away. And I bet we look for someone else to blame. If you want races at the end of the year, support them as much as you do the ones in March.

just my two cents...

Ouch! Frank goes over

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1RQcQhWtuTA


Watch past the finish line shots of cutie Frank Schleck kissing his medal... that is some kind of a nasty fall down the embankment!