The Surreal World: Austin

At 4:00am Saturday morning I picked Nick up to drive us to the airport to make our 6:00am flight. He was not his usual caffeinated self. Dazed and confused, I had to tend to his lack of attention and dozing. I don't think he would have made it otherwise.

Once we finally made it to the hotel, we quickly unpacked the bikes, and got out for a little spin. I found what looked like a sweet route from the Hotel to the race venue on Google Earth. I also checked out J-Dogs site to see if he was in Austin...and it looks like he was here the week before and took a similar picture to this on on our route to the race venue.After our abbreviated ride where we made it just a few miles from the venue and turned around on account of time, we arrived at the hotel to find many gifts from THF. Nick and I decided we needed to check out the new threads and see if they might work in a variety of social settings. I think we got the inner-city thing wired, so we're good to go (just not in Austin). Here we needed a big belt buckle and some SH*T Kickers if we were gonna fit in.

So Sunday morning, we rode to the venue for warm-up. I run over a big ass nail 10 minutes before my start, and I am riding tubular tires...not an easy fix. Luckily, my Boy Scout skills come in handy...I brought a spare tire. I remove the tire and replace it with a spare with minutes to spare. I missed my chance to inspect the course...so I am going into this race blind. I jump into the start chute, and I'm off.

I ramp up my effort and kick it into overdrive on the steepest section, where my strength to weight ratio is to my advantage. I knew I was having a good ride when some of the racers that started ahead of me were cheering for me as I passed them. I spy the finish, dig deep and put in everything I have to finish strong. THF rider, Mike Z is waiting and cheering for me at the top as he went before Nick and I. He had the look on his face like he had conquered the world, and he had...

5 years ago, Mike was diagnosed with MS and wrote himself off. Then he decided he was going to live life better than ever and do the things he wished he had done but never got around to it before he was diagnosed. He has logged more miles on his bike in the Alps and Pyrenees than most anybody I know. He is my hero of the weekend for sure. Helmets off to you Mikey! Don't stop! It's people like Mike Z that that could teach us all a lesson about how important every day is.

So we're waiting......and waiting.......and waiting......for awards (pretty standard for a bike race). When the awards finally happen, I come to find out that second place award is the lovely horse. Since I don't think it's going to fit in the overhead bin on the plane, let alone get through security, I decide to leave it for next year...cause I'm coming to win...

If I had won, I would STILL be driving home in this sweet first place ride. I wonder if it has 8 Track???

Nick and I ride home from the venue sans horsey. Along the way, we get to talking about how Austin is supposed to be the live music capital of the world. So we figure we should see some sights along the way and hit the capital building to listen to some of this "famous" live music. It must be an off week or something cause all we could find was this guy and his Casio singing some weird song about closing the borders, especially the Mexican border...whatever...

Upon returning to the Hotel, we have a glass of wine and some cheese to drown our sorrows and celebrate me being the first loser. At dinner, we find out Dee has never had Tequilla. So we order a round, and then another of some tequilla...I don't know, but Dinner was becoming a hazy blur to me at this point...and we have to get up at 4:00am for our flight...I'm getting worried. We later find out that Nick has this reaction to Tequilla where he goes ballistic. So this night he thinks he is a either a frog or a base jumper...we weren't quite sure, but by the time we get him home...he is jumping from bed to bed and cackling like a chicken. Finally he calms down after a conversation with Clare, his girlfriend, on the phone. I can FINALLY get some sleep, for we have 4 hours till we have to get up and fly.

Monday morning, too bright and WAY too early, we drop Dee off in Denver along the way, and upon landing at SFO, I head straight to work...like nothing ever happened. I couldn't handle it if every weekend was like this...but it sure was fun.

All the way home, the screen in the seat back kept reminding me that there's always Mexico. Maybe I should go...