188: Pinball Wizard

It's 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, Sweet Baby Jesus, Daylight savings time has me all jacked up. I'm so tired that I can't sleep.And my legs hurt, a lot. Fairhill was Saturday, it was a great race.

Friday afternoon, while placing step stakes in the ground and setting up the course, I was pouting about having to work Saturday morning. "grumble, grumble, great place to work, totally flexible and supportive, has to be a two way street. I feel guilty complaining but (in my best whinny voice) I don't want to miss Monkey's race... grumble, grumble.."

Then I got a phone call from the office. "system is not ready, we'll test Monday morning- no need to be here Saturday" I raised my hand in victory, not only would I not be charging from the office to the line, I'd be here for Diane's race! Which I'm sure would have been great if I wasn't there, but being there watching her ride what I think was her best race this season, pretty much made my day. She was awesome today.

My race was at high noon. The plan for my race was pretty simple: Try to stay with Linder and Bradley as long as I could, and see what happens. After setting up Friday, wasn't too sure what was in the tank, but I'm feeling a little spunky, lets see how long I can hang with the big boys. (by big boys I mean 10-20 years younger, and at least 20lbs lighter than me.)
45 seconds into the race, there is a new plan, I go from sitting in a nice position surrounded by a group about to go clear (teammate Morgan, Linder, Bradley, Fife), to realizing that I have yet another material issue: a flat in the rear.

Eric Morgan (not Eric Linder or Morgan Gerlach, but Eric Morgan) rolled by and goes, "dude, not again!" Rotten rolls up to me and frowns. I ask, "Robert, Tell Dan I'm coming in for a bike.."

Again, my plans for world domination have been thwarted. I consider just riding back to the car for a beer. But I love this, I love cross, I paid my money, this is why I have two bikes, I want to get my suffering on...

To make a long tedious race report short, it goes like this. I take off with new bike, get pimped in the corner by Syd. Good move on his part. Love that kid. Over the next lap I start charging... I figure if I can make the top ten it's a pretty successful day. I get my A bike back, thanks to Bernie letting me use his back wheel. I look up and not too far in the distance is a group of about 10, riding nose to tail.

I look up again, and see someone adorn in pink sitting on the front. ROTTEN ROBERT!! It seems ole Rotten and his kid brother tied one on pretty good Friday night. When Robert realized he was pretty hung over, he figured the least he could do was keep the group together for me, and allow me a chance to get back in. He sat on the front blocking it up a bit for me.
Someone would move to the front, Rob would sit on them, they'd let him pull through, and he bring the pace down just a little. Rotten Rules!

When I finally made contact, and started working through that group, I moved up next to Rotten, he said, "dude, what took you so long..." Rotten's effort was huge, and something I greatly appreciated. Rotten would finish up in 13th, and would add, "that's my best 3/4 result yet! maybe hung over is the way to go!"

As for me, I had really good legs today, and the course suited my strengths, as I told Tom, I have a new favorite course, he was truly masterful in this design. I fought hard and with Dan in the pit cheering me on, and Charlie seemingly around every corner telling me to breathe deep, get the bad air out, and keep attacking, I couldn't do anything but leave it all out there.
Thanks guys, and to everyone cheering for me around the course.

Amazingly, I finished on the box. My race plan was out the window, but I had a really good ride, and although I'm getting a little tired of chasing back on, it was a great race for me, in front of a home crowd who is only used to seeing me suck pretty badly at Fairhill. I was super stoked.

I am incredibly grateful to have ride for a great team, (Morgan was a huge help getting back into the race), and awesome riding partners, and great friends. Rotten, thanks a million of your help out there.

Monkey and the outlaws waited for me on the line, and gave me a big hug. They wanted to know how I was making up so much ground in the barn section of the course. I said, "tight twisty technical stuff, that's up my alley!" Diane called it my "special little place..." like we don't have similar styles or something...

After my race, my job was handling giving out awards and podiums. I kinda screwed that up. I didn't realize that the juniors got medals. I couldn't find the prizes for them. So I quickly grabbed all the DccoDers I could who had won prizes in earlier races: Jan 1st 35+ 3, Tom 2nd 45+ 3, JayZ 2nd Cat4, and my own prize: we ripped open the bags, and made sure the top 5 in the Junior under 16, and the top 3 in the U18 all walked away with a prize. Then President Ryan showed me the error of my ways, and we handed out the medals too. You can never give the juniors too many prizes. Thanks to my fellow DCCoDers who generously donated their prizes without question to the junior racers.

all in all a pretty great day. FSVS and DCCoD did a great job putting on a fantastic event. It was great to be a part of it from both an organizational and racing stand point.

BTW- as I am getting a little insomniac theater right now, I just finished watching a killer documentary on the WHO. I saw them in 1989 kinda by accident, and have been a pretty big fan since. I could watch Keith Moon play drums for hours.

Does anyone plan like that anymore? Dave Grohl might be the closest, but still nothing like Moon. Long Live Rock.

respect.
faticus

Photo Credits: all pictures of Monkey and I - Mike Kirk;Rotten Rob- Kevin Dillard, Keith Moon- Google Images.