Stokesville Bound (if I can find it on my Garmin navigational device)

photo cred: Nick the Stick

Sorry, I was thinking about next year's sponsorship proposals. I guess I still need to focus on this year before I start collecting funds to make great bike race in 2011.

It's once again time for the Shenandoah 100. There is no other event on the international cycling calender that I have done more times in a row, other than PMBAR, which is more than just a cycling event, it's like going to Thad's funeral every year. This will be my 5th year at the Virginia hundred miler, and my results have been on a permanent down slide ever since I began this journey.

2006: 1st place fixed gear
2007: 2nd place SS
2008: 3rd place SS
2009: 12th place SS
2010: ???

Will I continue to plummet down the standings of will I take charge of my destiny and finish a little higher than last year thus ending my slide into the deep end of obscurity? Sure, the podium went "Dicky Deep" last year, but who's to say just where the limitations of Chris Scott's generosity will end? Perhaps he would dig down to 20th place to be sure to include me in the festivities and assure himself another $135 from my pocket come 2011.

Harlan, "The Pflug", Ferrari, Old Man Shogren, Masse... I have no idea how many folks are lining up just to beat me. Fuckers.

This year there will be a definite return to the "living off the land" strategy. I'm only sending preloaded Awesome Straps (current model unavailable, new model available Sept 13th) to the aid stations in my drop bags and nothing else.

You will not see the Genuine Innovations tire lever in my bag since I handed it to a broke down rider in Breck. His tire was giving him a hard time, and he had broken multiple levers trying to get it off the rim. I stopped, handed him mine, he broke it in less than seven seconds, and then he handed the remains back to me. Meh. That's probably the reason Peter beat me. Shit.

Back to the plan...

I will take bottle hand-ups. I will eat brownies, Pringles, PnB sammiches, and of course, pizza at aid station five. I will proudly and ignorantly wash them all down with a swallow of Coca Cola. I will enjoy the pre and post race meals as well as the pre and post race beers. It is my goal to get more for my race entry fee than any other racer in the field... and still make a "Dicky Deep" podium appearance thus garnering myself a sweet piece of schwag Chris Scott has left over from a summer of promoting quality events.

Am I over the Breck Epic enough to make an impact on the standings? Doubtful. The thing that's bothering me most is my boogie down knees, and I can only blame that on the dance floor antics last Friday night. Raise the roof, set it on fire, and bring it down. No other way to do it once I take the floor. At least there's no dance floor at the SM100.

The event is Sunday. I'm driving home Monday. Expect great news and exultations of awesomeness come Tuesday morning.

For Mike F.