Everything went as planned.
That is to say, I planned for everything to not go as planned in such a manner that I could be able to pivot all day long and mebbe it all works, out and it essentially did.
At the last minute, I decided to leave work two hours early on Friday to get a head start on getting the house ready for stinky people. Josh the Wonderboy came into town that evening and aided in all manner of minor ways, and some really important ways.
Saturday morning, the house was as much chaos as I'd anticipated a month ago... and then some. Frands sleeping van life style outside (not so much chaos, but I worry about my kids everywhere). Two dogs (one diabetic, one idiot) and a wife who planned on being out of town Friday but then couldn't and all the associated barking at everything and everyone and being underfoot (dogs not wife). Watts shows up... the route still not loaded on his computer but at least already fed.
Me... totally unprepared for the ride that I'd announced I'd do in the last minute pre-race email... calling out the "leaving in X minutes announcement" every four minutes... Josh being even less so ready than I.
From the email:
From the email:
"I'll be joining in on the first 15-17 miles of the course at a semi-ho-hum-diddly-dum pace. Take that for what it's worth. I need to get back the house and polish the silverware."
I wanted to get some riding in, and I told everyone at the pre-race speech I'd be out there, but I definitely wasn't waiting on anyone because... "reasons."
I'm very proud of everyone for not running during the LeMans start. No sense in turning an ankle just to get somewhere in a hurry.
Despite announcing that I would wait for NO ONE on the trail, I ended up on the most diverse group ride I'd ever been on. The Backyard is such a choice place for group rides, what with all its intersections, bonus loops, and social cut-throughs. Josh the Wonderboy, fresh off a Coors fever dream, on a full suspension bike with no bike computer and a dead phone and no idea where he was all day. Carl on an e-bike. Kangalangamangus on his pre-boost rigid Waltworks and a stubborn Garmin. Two guys on Surly hardtails laden down with bike luggage. Two yutes from Durham, one on a DJ bike and on a fixed brakeless 26" bike. Davis, on the fixed gear, was a late entry who I woulda swore was just pranking me when I got his email (abbreviated for brevity's sake).
So the ride through the Middle Third at the start (which isn't a third of anything) stopped at pretty much all fifty six intersections to regroup... mostly because I had allotted three hours to get through the first fifteen miles, so it was going "well enough"... not anticipating the slow down caused by the passed out homeless guy at the water fountain later tho.
All that said, I will never forget that ride. Ever. And I've forgotten so many rides.
Oh... and I got a call from Papa John's while I was riding which I was pretty sure was going to be a cancelation of my order but was just a notification that they were out or salami for the MEATS pizza followed by another call to ask me is I wanted to substitute for the lack of preferred meat (I had no preference as I pretty much closed my eyes when I picked out fourteen pizzas which is a more exhaustive process than I'd anticipated). Oh and the multiple alerts from my home security cameras which I was sure meant many people had quit and went back to my house early to be disappoint which just turned out to be squirrels and also Nathan who was pacing outside my house waiting to get back in.
Coolers were filled by 12:30pm as promised. Pizza arrived at 12:45pm as promised. Southern Ditch Living Jim showed up with two cases of High Life as not promised, and the wait began. While we ate hot & fresh pizza and expected quitters and also people who curated their own shorter routes from the one I created, we were disappoint. One o'clock became two o'clock whilst we googled and debated if it was safe to put carboard pizza boxes in the oven.
I think it was 2:20pm before we had our first finished-but-not-finishers and the party began.
I don't know what time we finally got three finishers who had finished all there was too finish, but here they are.
Walk (stumble) home and in bed by 1:30am.
I'd like to thank everyone.
* The people who donated money despite no intention of showing up.
* The people who paid up, couldn't make it, but didn't ask for a refund.
* The people who signed up late and paid extra bribe money.
* The people who donated more than $13, and in some cases, way more than $13 to play.
* The people who paid up, mebbe didn't get what they came for, but didn't complain anyways... at least not to me anyways.
* The people who dealt with a glitchy route or device. I can't explain it. I was next to someone with the same data acquisition device, and his said we shoulda been on the other side of the creek (where no trail, road, or greenway existed) whilst mine was dead-to-nuts-on. I've done enough Mountain Cats (and other events) that I know it happens... but it still sucks when it happens to you.
* Jay and Jim and whoever else that brought enough extra beer to really halp save some money to go to the Tarheel Trailblazers.
* HandUp for giving me enough swag that I think if you went home empty handed, you chose to... or left it in my yard in a stupor.
* Lee for taking a bunch of awesome photos. He tried to goad me into riding the log skinny, but I rode it four times after we built it and never again under the assumption that if I ride it a thousand times, I might fall off it once. I'd love to have the photo for vanity's sake, but ever since my ER incident two years ago, I realize I've taken on a fair amount of responsibility tryna put on a one man show, and a single stupid mistake can make for a whole lotta PITA for everyone. ASK ME HOW I KNOW.
The answer is no.
* Anyone and everyone that made an effort to keep my yard from looking like complete shit Sunday morning. I only found a few mislaid cans, one pizza crust, and one piece of leftover pizza (out of the 144 slices I ordered). Y'all weren't the worst people to come to a party where I live. I did end up with a couple items that very much ain't mine, so holler at me.
After yinz finished off 18 pizzas (almost), two Fantas (disappoint), and countless beers, bubble waters, and Cokes, the leftover donations added up to @$395 (yeth, I rounded up some cents). Your fundage is going into the Tarheel Trailblazers Backyard Trails: Equipment Fundraiser so we can buy a machine to move dirt around and make cool shit.
Now... the Barnburner 50k... selfishly... FOR ME.
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