20150716

TTT?

We put TWO Teams into the PMVC 5 mile Team Time Trial, pairing experienced TTT riders with new TTT riders, therefore choosing to all ride ROAD bikes for safety.

Ag3r-REDshift comprised of:
     Mark Briercheck
     Steve Marlette
     Nathan Black

Ag3r-BLUEshift comprised of:
     Ray Sielski
     Ben Adduru
     Hannah Brewer
     Henry Dimmick

After receiving our starting instruction from Stephanie and Oscar Swan...
 
...we took our last drinks....
 
...and pulled on our super-duper aerodynamic cheating devices...

...before getting cue for our starts.
 
 

Once rolling, both Team put in steady performances....

5th Place for Ag3r-REDshift

6th Place for Ag3r-BLUEshift
 
...sometimes feeling FAST...

....and sometimes feeling SLOW :)

Afterwards, we lined up....

...to watch Steve Brewer ride ONE whole lap, in what we think was entirely too much CRASH PROTECTION...?!?!?

With the event now over, we hung in the parking lot, as usual, staring at Steve's MOTO...

...while Mark tried out his new idea for Team KNICKERS(?)!!!

 
 Pictures by Steve Brewer and Sonic Imaging.
 

20150709

There are NO good Running blogs

...because they all read like this:

I started running, and then kept running.
 
Then I turned.... and ran some more.
 
I got tired. But I kept running.
 
There was some Gatorade. 
 I dropped the cup on my foot.
My sock got wet.
 
I ran some more, and then I got to the end.
 
I was pretty tired.
 
 
...by Roger Lutz

 

20150708

Two by Twelve?

EIGHT Ag3r riders, making up FOUR 2-person teams, headed into West Virginia for the Big Bear Lake 2 x 12 Mtn Bike Race....

....which pairs riders to alternate 12 mile laps, for SIX+ hours.  The Team with the most laps completed, in the least amount of time, WINS.

Despite a weekend of storms repeatedly SWEEPING across the area....

...we arrived to Big Bear Lake on Friday, to camp out the night BEFORE the race.

As you enter the Racing and Camping area, you are greeted by the unique to this race "Fly Over" that is at the END of each loop.

New this year, was that the loop at the end of the Fly-Over now had BANKING to it...!!!

Also new this year, were a LARGE permanent Shelter and Fire Pit, already set up for Saturday evening's post race "sacrifice".
 
After enduring HEAVY WIND and STORMS all night, we crawled out of our tent to get ready to race.
 
Unfortunately, the first thing we saw was yet ANOTHER storm coming our way.  It was going to be a RAINING, WET and MUDDY race.

To boost our spirits, Nathan and Riley Black presented the Team with color matching Race-Bracelets!
 
Unfortunately, once the racing started....EVERYONE was all the SAME COLOR!

In a DUO events, at the end of each lap for one rider, a red baton must be handed off to their teammate to carry throughout THEIR lap....

...after which, the just-finished riders try to gather their wits....

...or have their injuries looked after by Trained Professionals....

....before eating, drinking, resting and getting ready to go back out to do it all again!

In these pictures, Hannah has (just) CRASHED.

Onto a ROCK.

With her FACE.

The rock was OK.
 
So, on it went, back and forth...with the SUN finally poking through mid-day!


Late in the afternoon, as the main divisions were finishing, there was even a kid's race.  That is Riley Black in the center of the picture...dressed in BLACK!

As everyone's final lap came to a close....Kirk pedaled up the Fly-Over one last time...

...before running through the Officials Tent....

...while Ray mustered the energy for a fist bump, so he wouldn't leave Bobby "hanging"!

After everyone had a shower, MOST of us felt better....

...while ALL of us "SMELT" better :)
 

Moving to the Awards Ceremony, Kirk Morrison and Henry Dimmick took 3rd Place in the Grand Masters Division...but (apparently?) did not have the energy to STAND UP...!?!?
 

...while Hannah Brewer and Mike Maher took 3rd Place in the Coed Sport Division.

Additionally...

Ray Sielski and Nathan Black finished in 4th Place of the Clydesdale Division, and

Bobby Irwin and Matt Olearchick finished in 11th Place of the Duo Expert Division.

Afterward, we were happy to FILL our MUGS with beer...

...and HAPPY that Hannah was now feeling good enough to laugh when we made jokes about her FACE :))

 
As night set in, the "sacrifices" were made, while the Band started playing...

...and we all settled in for a nice evening under mostly clear skies!

Next morning, we woke to the sound of a couple of strange "bikes"....

 
...before hitting the road for home.....
 
...and LAUNDRY.

But as we reflect back on the race....

 
...and on the DAMAGE that was done to our people....

...and to our equipment.....


...we are STILL PLANNING to race again next year!
 

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