What a race. Well, it wasn’t really a race. In usual fashion, the Back of the Pack Racing team signed up for the 100 (really 90) and only finished one loop – 45 miles. A million excuses but none of them matter. Someday we will finish the entire 2 loops. OK, probably not.
Tim had a rough day with his rear tire. I think he went through 5 cans of CO2. Lucky for him, Tedd and I had 6 cans of CO2 between us. We weren’t exactly unprepared. Tim and I had hand pumps, they just didn’t work. Funny thing, Tim’s tire held air all night. So I think he intentionally fell off the pace, let air out of his tire, then declared the machine unfit for action. This was his strategy to veto the 2nd lap and start in on the Dale’s Pale Ale, Tecate, Modus Hoperandi, Dos Equis, etc. Smart dude, I think. Then again, I seem to recall similar strategies playing out the last two years. It’s just “The Curse of the Zuni”.
Then there was Tedd. He was keeping up with the relentless pace that I set – in between the 4 hours of waiting for Tim. Then with 4 miles to go, his seat bolt snapped. Hey tough guy, ever tried to ride a single speed (or any bike for that matter) without a seat? Go for it. Tedd said it was Awesome! Especially when he forgot that his seat was not on the seat post. Talk about cheap thrills.
So out of all this chaos what did Judd learn? I learned that one must watch the trail when cows are grazing nearby. If you don’t, something sloppy may end up on your bike, your shirt, your water bottles. Just pray that you find the slop before you guzzle the energy drink. I didn’t. I may die a miserable death. Giardia is terrible. Cow Diarrhea mixed with a little electrolyte supplement is down right evil.
What’s next? Don’t know. Most likely the 24 hours of Fury down in Phoenix. Yep, need more experience with the 24 hour races. If there is a challenge out there, I am a willing participant – unless the Cow Diarrhea takes it’s tool or the Aliens abduct me – again.
Oh. One more thing. Absolutely DO NOT follow the link to data and pictures if you have a week stomach or are emotionally incapable of dealing with grotesque images. Tedd has a nasty injury from the 24 hours of Moab. We have the evidence forever stored in the digital world – that is “1’s and 0’s” for you geeks.
Back of the Pack Racing – The Judd, Tedd & Tim Trio
Team Unity
Uh, my seat hurts. I mean, my seat is broken. I mean… OUCH!
BACK OF THE PACK RACING 