Dawn2Dusk

Well, the first race of the 2014 Season for MADDOG83 is in the bag and it was really fun.   DCB Adventures put this 'all day' event together for the 5th year and it was a fine race.

I will spare every detail but share some very motivating experiences.

We set up by our sister team, Park City, appropriately named as all of the 4 person team was from that area.

I was reminded how important it is to choose the folks with whom I hang out.   Bill and Melinda (married) were somewhat of a known quantity.   We have been riding and racing with them for while.   Melinda is 68 and a National and World RR Champion.  She is the real deal.  She trains hard and is strong but mostly she has a very tough mental attitude.   Bill is 75 and had exploratory work done on Thursday that would have sidelined most folks for days.  He is a cancer survivor, as well.

Before Bill's first lap, I put down the gauntlet, "Bill, you might be the only guy out here today who can do a lap under his age (1:15)."   I saw him thinking and a little glimmer came in his eye…….then he went out and did it.   I don't think I can describe the size of this accomplishment.

You won't see any press coverage about Bill.  Bill didn't make a trip to the podium.  No medals for him, but I was lucky enough to be there and witness it………. I will be telling the story for a long time.

Cal and Bob, both 55-60ish and the other two team mates, were amazing.   Cal is a liver transplant recipient……yes, that's right. …….a liver transplant recipient.   He peeled of two laps under 1:10.

Then there was the Teensanator.   She has come back from multiple crashes and injury.   Some will remember the smallest of them at 12 Hours at Tsali (face planted and cut the heck out of an eye).  She has been gripped with fear but stayed with it.  In September, she joined me for a skills clinic to help her 'get her mojo back'.   This weekend, she ripped off 4 laps in around 1:10 each.  At top speed, she rolled over, around and through rocks that weeks ago had paralyzed her.

We had one goal:  9 laps.  We were not riding…..we were racing, if only against ourselves.  We missed the time cutoff for the 9th lap by 8 minutes.   You might say we failed and you would be correct.   Teenie rode about 62 miles and I rode about 65.  We did all we could do.  We did not fail to have fun!  We are still both smiling.

Results should be up soon and I will share them.