The 2015 6 Hours of Warrior Creek

Yes, I put a computer on the night before the race... but no sensor on the fork, no magnet on the wheel... because if I've learned one thing and forgot it and then relearned it and then forgot it again, it's that when you do any 6/12/24 hour race, especially on a team, you should know what time it is.

Friday night.  An oddly anxiety-riddled night of sleep.  Not waking up in random pain throughout the night like I was a month ago.  I'm just excite.  Tomorrow is the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek.  Decide to just get out of bed at 4:45AM, not willing to remain there until my alarm goes off in fifteen minutes.  Coffee, toaster pastries (untoasted, natch), constitutional... still much time to kill before I pick up Colin.  Driven by too much "inspirational" bullshit on the Book of Face, I decide to be productive with that extra time.

Scoop Colin, stop at BoJo's for him (natch), arrive at the venue at what seems like an early time, but then somehow the minutes slip through my fingers.  By the time I line up, it's hard to find a spot in what will end up being the fourth or fifth rows (after the elitists back their way into the line as they do, natch).

photo cred: Eric "PMBAR Honcho" Wever

Gordwan is just stoked to be here and his start position has no effect on his happy fun time.

photo cred: Beautiful Stephanie

The race has been around long enough that everyone knows YOU MUST CRUSH ALL THE PAVEMENT before you get into the woods on the prologue lap.  MUST, lest ye spend eternity in the conga line known as Lap 1.  I do not have what it takes this year and watch so many single speeders go by (along with enough geared riders to fill a cruise ship).

Watching this video, I see that I went into the woods 55th... used to be able to get in with the top twenty... ouch.

I have no idea who's racing in the Duo Single Speed class... other than Zac.  I see him bury himself and he's outta sight in no time.  I've already pegged The Gently Ginger and he to take the win (natch).  I think I'm slightly sads.

But after the prologue (that lasted way longer than I remember) and four more miles of racing, I find Brian Burton and BC.  I make my way around them... and then the trail is clear.  Is life this good?

Yes, it is.

I hurt myself something awful, come in after @1:14 on the bike, and Colin and I almost kill ourselves in a very ugly transition (mostly my fault, natch).

I swing by and check on the results, hoping that we're far enough out of contention to kick back and drink beer.  We're in second.  Sads mixed with glads.  More hurting things lie ahead.  Drink the almost full bottle of Half Evil I couldn't get my hands on more than twice in that first lap.  Eat a slice of pizza.  Not a "hey, if you're in town, you gotta have this" size slice, but not the slice that's as wide as it is thick that your wife asks you to cut for her as her last piece.

And then walk around and forget to take care of my body and then Colin comes back in and I go back out.

Ouch.  Why didn't I stretch?  Why didn't I put my legs up?  Why didn't I... fuck.  Who's in charge of me today?

photo cred:Scott George

A very painful lap without much passing and determined to take better care of myself after this one.  The whole "dieting" thing going into a race... really not paying off in spades.

Back in, eat two slices of pizza, polish off the bottle of Half Evil that I somehow managed to grab more than twice on the last lap, roll out the yoga mat in the sun, lie down, get up twenty minutes later, eat a pack of mustard, a little Debbie's brownie... a PBR for good measure.  Discuss with Zac that our top two teams need to just ride smart, avoid mechanical, incidents and accidents.

Colin in, me out.  Beer + drooper post = instant hero... until I am le tired again.  Try to remember to have fun on my last lap because I won't get back to Wilkesbermo until probably this fall.

Me in, Colin out, time to pack up and share happy stories with Zac and Gordwan.

photo cred: Beautiful Stephanie

And then wait for our teammates to come in hoping no bad things found them on that last lap.

And they don't.

photo cred: Beautiful Stephanie

Zac and The Gentle Ginger take the win (natch), Colin and I squeeze in behind them.

Faster Mustache teamie, Brian Conroy also saw time on the box with a third place in the Men's 40+ category.

photo cred: Beautiful Stephanie 

ON TOP OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS...

The Brushy Mountain Cyclists Club that promotes the event.  They take care of their racers.  The looks on people's faces when they open that little cash envelope and start fanning out the bills?

I know that no one's in it for the money, but when you actually see how much money... you're all like "whuh-what?"

There's a reason this race sells out EVERY YEAR in minutes.  Everything about it is awesome (except for all the pain and stuff).  Pay attention next year and get your ass here.

And one more prop to the Cog Angel, Shanna Powell of Endless Bikes, who sponsors the single speed categories.

photo cred: Beautiful Stephanie 

Not only is she one of my sponsors (natch), she's a single speeder at heart, a warm ray of sunshine wherever she goes, a (more than I even knew) believer in "Made in America," and just someone you want to have in your corner... not just because she loaded down the handmade prize bag/mussette bag with good times and whatnot.

Yes, this is the combined prizes from both BMCC and Endless, but I'm hardly going to sort this out for a heavily staged photo.

There is no such thing as "leftover meat."  Just missed opportunities.

photo cred: Mudman

Good times and much stokage going into my "vacation."  See you in a week or so.

BONUS:  Found out Saturday night that The Pie did not like her first taste of Fireball, so that's pretty much all mine now.