The XCX Xperience -2007

"I am Captain Crazy Fun. I see a whole army of adventure seekers here in defiance of boredom! You have come for the xtreme, and the xtreme you shall get! I commend you for your courage in joining me in this adventure. Run fun...run safe... RUN FREE!"

250 crazed runners screamed and sprinted as gravity pulled them down the hill from the starting line of the XCX cross country extreme. Hurdling tents and dashing through a sandpit, they began their four + mile running adventure behind the Midway Expo Center in Columbia, MO. Video camera in hand, I was prepared to capture the experience on the course and the wonder of the spectators around me. Doubling in size from the year before, the event had become a visual feast of the bizarre. There were more costumed participants than I could count.

Photo by Sait Serkan Gurbuz

A wrestling match between a oversized Chicken and a foul mouthed gorilla was the first sign of the insanity about to come. Less than a half mile into the course, I was funneled into junk yard cage maze of lumber where I and the large group of runners around me were surrounded by walls of plywood and forced to climb over or under large wooden spools. The congested traffic made us easy prey for the hidden attackers that coated our ankles with silly string through holes in the plywood.

After escaping the junk yard, I arrived at row of a dozen horse jump hurdles. It definitely wasn't the height but the quantity that hurt the most. As I hurdled my way across, I could hear the loud crash of the runner behind me misjudging the height of the barrier and knocking the obstacle to the ground as he fell. "He is a goner, save yourself," I thought, knowing that if I glanced back for even a second the next hurdle would clip me to the ground. I could see from the corner of my eye billows of smoke and the sounds of explosions and screaming. The next obstacle was waiting.

Photo by Alex Grisgby

The military crawl was another debut at this year's event. Twine was weaved knee high over a 100 foot rectangular stretch of grass. Wooden blocks created an unpredictable maze to the finish. Nine Inch Nails music was playing, and military clad volunteers were screaming at runners as firecrackers exploded and smoke bombs clouded visibility. It was survival mode, and it was wildly entertaining!

Photo by Truth Leem

After outlasting the military crawl, I was able to escape to the dark forest. Almost immediately, I was attacked by chainsaw wielding zombies and forced to climb ropes up muddy banks, jump into mud pits, and race through creek beds. A bonus loop on this year's course was the pirate pond where decapitated heads hung from trees and One Eyed Willy looked on from his ship-wrecked inflatable kayak.

Photo by Truth Leem

Back in October, participants in the Mayor's Cup were instructed to bring an ugly doll for unspecified reasons. They later learned in the rainstorm of the day that their doll must be sacrificed to the one eyed troll that lived in the tunnel under Taco Bell. Around 40 dolls were sacrificed that October day. Now, here at the XCX the dolls were back. Hung from the trees in a deep creek bed runners were surrounded by them! Suddenly a fart detector alarm came to life screaming, "Fart Detected! Fart Detected!" in a warning cry to the one eyed monster that waited ahead. Crawling through roots and the curtain of dolls, participants found themselves face to face with the One Eyed Purple People Eater! Singing and dancing to the tune of a decapitated cheerleader doll, he happily greeted us. The only way to escape was to climb the mud wall of the creek bed to higher ground.

Photos by Truth Leem

The opening at the end of the dark forest revealed the long and painful "Saw Dust Hill." A long line of runners could be seen running/jogging/walking/crawling their way to the top. If the hill wasn't hard enough, there were photographers and zombies waiting at the top, as well as a long line of hay bales that needed to be climbed and jumped. At that point, runners were instructed to "DO ANOTHER LAP THROUGH THE WOODS!"

Photo by Truth Leem

After four miles of so of this insanity, we were directed to the finish line. A bonfire, music, coffee from Kaldi's and bagels from B&B awaited. There was no prize for first place finisher in the race. Instead, finishers were awarded trophies for different age groups. These trophies were seven-pound cast-iron window weights, painted black and stenciled with the XCX initials. One of a kind indeed.

Special emphasis was placed on the costume contest with sponsor prizes given to the top ten. The first place costume won a pair of Spokiz glasses and a legacy of glory. This year's champion was Mike Tripp whose Zombie make up was frighteningly realistic. Close behind was Sam Dutrow with the amazing Zebra body paint and the ever-rocking band KISS!

Photo by Alex Grisgby

Soon the party ended and participants began their voyage home. Muddy, wet and somewhat traumatized, they had traveled to this event for a common purpose: to have fun. Judging from people's expressions on the course, it was a grand adventure. I can only imagine the scene a year from now!

View the Missourian video by Alex Sutherland

The Eve of the XCX

XCX Cross Country Xtreme
November 17, 2007
9 am - Midway Sandbar

The XCX is one rough, tough and outrageous cross country race. Unlike typical road races that take runners along city streets and trails, the XCX follows the true cross country spirit of taking runners through fields, up and down hills, and through forest trails. However, the XCX takes cross country running to a new level by incorporating obstacle courses, creek crossings, rope climbs and other challenges with the ultimate goal of creating the most extreme and fun cross country race in Missouri.

Now in its 4th event, the XCX has become a successful fundraiser for Columbia Second Chance. Course highlights at the 2006 XCX included running through the woods, crawling through wet creek beds, climbing steep, muddy hills, and jumping a row of hay bales. Competitive high school and college cross country runners raced the course with amazing speed, while runners and joggers of all ages and abilities shared the experience. Many participants even raced in costume. The Incredibles battled the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as Sponge Bob Squarepants and the One Eyed Purple People Eater ran on. After completing the 4 mile course, participants were treated to a bonfire. At the awards' ceremony, speed and creativity were rewarded. Awards were given for fastest in each age group, and top ten prizes were given to the participants with the best costumes. With 130 participants, last year's XCX was a great success.

Here we are one year later. Months of preparation have gone into making this year's event an even bigger success. The stakes have been raised. The course will feature obstacles, props, mud holes, music, and to top it off, a haunted forest. Hopefully, with time the number of participants will skyrocket, propelling the XCX into cult status as the most ridiculous and difficult cross country race (mile per mile) in the Midwest. Those who complete the course will have bragging rights until the next XCX event. Those who win the costume contest will have cult status for life. This event is going beyond crazy fun. It will be in a league of its own. I am challenging runners and hearty walkers alike to participate in this fun event. Spectators are encouraged to come observe!

For all the details visit: www.xcxtreme.com

See you on the course!

Mike Denehy
XCX Race Director

The Mayor's Cup 2007 - Director's Report

I awoke early the morning of October 13th. The preparation and excitement of the day ahead had kept me from more than a couple hours of sleep. The sky was partly cloudy and the forecast called for a 50% chance of rain. A little rain wouldn't hurt.

The Mayor's Cup, Columbia's Urban Adventure Race, was about to begin. Participants gathered at Boone Tavern, and as the starting time arrived, the sprinkle of rain began to get worse. The phone rang. It was the band. They had to cancel. The outdoor show at the park was not going to happen. Time to get a back-up plan in action quick; the participants were waiting. The show must go on.

Around 80 participants were ready to begin an adventure that they knew nothing about. They knew they needed a bike. They knew they needed an ugly doll. Did they have any idea what I had in store for them?

After a couple initiation activities, the participants were off. Eight checkpoints awaited in the downtown "District," all to be completed on foot. Each team received a passport, and at each station clues were given to the upcoming station. Some of the highlights included ringing the courthouse bell, performing a one minute air guitar performance for style points at the Blue Note, a intimate television interview, and a visit with the friendly but doll-obsessed troll that lives under Flat Branch Park. Participants were required to photograph their experiences at each checkpoint. Videographers were stationed throughout the course.

Following the District, teams were sent on a photo hunt on the University of Missouri campus. Team photos show participants hanging out with Thomas Jefferson and Beetle Bailey. Stankowski field became a speedway for bikers as the campus was empty. Before participants finished they were required to sing the Ole Mizzou song in the Stadium tunnel.

I arrived at Grindstone park at 10:30. I knew that participants were cruising through the downtown and were probably making their way through the campus. The heavy rain became an intense thunderstorm and I cursed myself for being stupid enough to wear blue jeans on such a day. The volunteers were huddled wet and cold under the shelter at Grindstone. A biker on a tour from St. Louis was taking refuge with them. I wondered how many participants would be able to tough it out this far. The temperature was dropping fast and the shallow creek beds were beginning to rise. This event was turning into a very intense adventure fast.

Grindstone park was the final section of the course. Eight final checkpoints awaited the bravest souls from the Mayor's Cup. Five check points were in the Enchanted Forest. These included the Farmer (participants had to walk and talk like farm animals for the points), the tongue twister station, the Grindstone School of History, The Red Bull aid station, and my favorite, the Musical Albino Bear (which was filling in for the band). Those who made it this far were to be rewarded. Those up for an extra challenge were encouraged to forge through the knee deep creek, survive the FearFest "Pit O Despair," complete a physical challenge at the "Cliffs of Insanity," and complete the "Battle of the Wits" on the creek shore. Then it was back to Shakespeare's for the pizza party.

The first few teams were through before we were even able to get set up! Another dozen were close behind. Many of the teams were shivering and a few were a little blue. It was wildly entertaining to watch them forge through the creeks and the mud only to be rewarded with Monty Python skits, ridiculous challenges, and a dancing bear playing a xylophone. The rain kept coming. At 1:30 the conditions became so bad for the volunteers that I knew I had to close the course. A few had already fled for their lives as the creeks were at the verge of being impassible. A handful of participants were still on the course and I directed them to the remaining stations as I ran through the park alerting the remaining volunteers to go directly to Shakespeare's and eat pizza. I didn't know how things had held together as long as they had. Only moments before, my cell phone short circuited and I was without contact with the volunteers and participants. Murphy's law was kicking my butt.

I packed all the soggy props and gear into the car and quickly made my way back to Shakespeare's. The plan was to have participants turn in their passports to have their location stamps tallied. Unfortunately, almost all the books were soaking wet mush balls. I wondered how many digital cameras had met their fate that day. Looking around Shakespeare's I noticed that many people had made it for the pizza party. Even more amazing was that everyone was somehow still smiling! Maybe they actually even had a good time! Nobody wanted to punch me! I made sure that everybody left with a door prize or two. The actual winners of the event would have to be determined at a later date. After months of planning and promotion, the event was finally over. What just happened? It was a blur. Totally insane.

As I left Shakespeare's Pizza, the rain came to a stop. The next day was sunny and perfect. But really, where is the adventure in that?

LCD 4 - Rolling out...

September crept into October. I was successful again in commuting for a month of my of life car free. The commuter mileage was near 350. I imagine that if I had been driving I would have traveled twice that much. Traveling without a car has helped me reevaluate the amount and frequency that I need to travel every day. Instead of hastily running one errand at a time, I now wait until I have a number of tasks and complete them with as few trips as possible.

Nothing like a nap in the sun.

I wish that I could tell you that I will be leaving my car in the driveway with a flat tire, and dead battery. I wish that I could tell you that I could sustain a productive and happy lifestyle without my car. Unfortunately, that would be a lie. I have already taken my bike floor pump and with great effort inflated the flat. I have also gotten the jumper cables ready for the next available opportunity. Chances are, I will be behind the wheel today.

The main photo subject of a solo biker.

However, by being a regular bike commuter I have somewhere down the line completely altered my train of thought. If I need to travel within the city limits I immediately consider my bike as my main source of transportation. On occasion I weigh the options on traveling by car versus bike (weather, cargo, distance, time limitations), and if I am not restricted by outside factors, I choose to travel by bike. Why? The bottom line is because I enjoy it.

The last two days of the Low Car Challenge I spent with bikers of a different breed. Roctoberfest, the motorcycle rally that I have been helping promote this year was big and bad at the Midway Expo Center. I was lucky enough to check out cage fighting/dancing, biker games and some great live music. Plus the people watching was fantastic. I camped out a couple days and designed the course for the XCX Cross Country Xtreme race in November. It was a great way to end the month.

Roctoberfest 2007! Bikers, babes, and chicken wings!

Thanks for reading my thoughts and experiences on the 2007 Low Car Diet.

This is the first chapter in a three month adventure. I will be documenting the experience of being an event director for the three large Off Track Events right around the corner. The Mayor's Cup, the MidMo BRR and the XCX. Its about to get really interesting...

Check out the Blog here: http://offtrackevents.blogspot.com/

LCD 3 - The Power of Pedals!

Three weeks on the saddle. The regular daily routine of bike commuting, has once again given me an outsiders view of the American love affair with the automobile. I am often cut off at intersections by impatient drivers. Would waiting an extra three seconds really cause such distress in their lives? Are they driving to the hospital with an extreme emergency or in an urgent rush to save the world? Do they realize that bikes have the same rights as cars on the road? Chances are the answer to all of these questions is "no". Even in a bike friendly community like Columbia, bike commuters are so uncommon that drivers don't know how to react. Cars line the city streets, burning natural resources, polluting the air and causing havok upon the landscape they travel. If only a tiny fraction of able bodied drivers commuted by bicycle even once a week (even if was to the store or a nearby location), the biking community would grow, safety features would improve on roads and driver awareness of bikers rights could be increased. Unfortunately, those who choose to commute regularly by bike are often seen as extreme and their numbers are small. If Americans want to save some money at the pumps, they may want to consider getting on some pedals.

Continuing my Low Car Marketing Challenge for Off Track Events, I recruited my friend Nate Smith for some classic gorilla marketing at the Summerfest street show featuring the band Wilco. I fluffed the feathers of the Chickman costume and along with the monkey we hit the mega event. Wearing front and backside posters for the Mayor's Cup we danced through a crowd of thousands, distributing hundreds of event brochures. Dozen of people gave us high fives, danced with us and took photos. I recommend that everybody goes incognito in costume at some point of their life. Find that alter ego and set it free.

The end of the week brought the first event in the Off Track Events fall series. The Paws in the Park 5k. I was unsure how directing a cross country race would work without the use of a vehicle. I soon realized that as an event director I could have other people pick up the dozen boxes of t-shirt, race packets and heavy 5k course equipment and deliver them to the event location. Honestly, I could not have driven my station wagon if I had wanted to. It rests in my driveway, a dead battery under the hood, and a flat tire in the back. Foresaken and forgotten.

Once all the course equipment was delivered to the race location, I discovered the ease and benefit that a bike with a trailer offered. The distribution of cones, flags, signs, and water jugs across the 3.1 mile course was expedited by the bike trailer. The bicycle was never restricted by the terrain of the park and it's trail system. The 5k run went off without a hitch. It was a rewarding feeling seeing the Paws in the Park 5k and other activities become a success. I can't wait to do it again.

LCD 2 - A week to end all weeks!

I have been looking forward to this week in Columbia all year long. Three huge events occurred in only a one week period which entertained thousands of people. The Roots N Blues N BBQ, the MS150, and the Tour of Missouri. I was lucky enough to experience each of them. Friday night was the opening night of the Roots N Blues N BBQ. A great lineup of artists including Chris Thomas King, North Mississippi, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Sierra Loene's Refugee All Stars and more were set to entertain thousands of people on three stages in downtown Columbia.

A moment from the Roots N Blues N BBQ -
Photo from www.rootsnbluesnbbq.com

I loaded up the bike trailer once again with a fully loaded cooler and biked downtown on the Off Track Events promotional mobile. I strategically parked in a busy area of the festival where masses of people would walk by the bike seeing the promotional posters on the back. Draping the cover of the kid trailer over the cooler, I had a convenient secret full sized cooler in the middle of this huge festival available for all the friends that I saw over the two day weekend.

During the experience I was reminded how great it is to live in a community that showcases the arts and brings such great entertainment to the masses for free. Seeing the downtown streets closed to traffic made me think about how great it would be if Columbia would ever make its main downtown street (9th St. for example) into a pedestrian mall that only walkers and bikers would be allowed to use (think Madison, Iowa City, and Boulder). The University campus has successfully converted a couple of its busy streets into pedestrian only streets, and it is great resource for the many students who commute by foot or bicycle. Would Columbia, its citizens, and businesses be able to benefit from this as well?

Commuting against bike traffic at the MS150

Saturday morning, I got on my bike and commuted to the Midway Expo Center for the MS150. The MS150 is a bike ride that occurs in cities across the United States on the same day raising money for Multiple Sclerosis. My plan was not to ride in the event. I was there to shamelessly advertise the Off Track Event series. My goal was to place brochures for the 3 events on 1,000 cars (yes, I am the one to thank or to blame). Luckily, I had friends who met me there to help out. Within an hour, we were done and I was on my way. I have commuted by bicycle to the Expo Center many times before. Usually, it's a quiet and lonely 45 minute ride on county roads. The commute today was very different. The sense of solitude was gone, as I got to bike against the flow of 2,000 plus riders on the event. It is a great experience to see a solid, steady line of bikers for miles on a road. It's amazing how many smiles and waves are returned from fellow riders!

Team Ska representing at the Tour of Missouri

To top off the amazing week, the Tour of Missouri ended its stage 4 race in downtown Columbia. World class bikers, competing for large prize money, raced 133 miles from Lebanon, MO, to Columbia, MO. The Columbia streets were lined for miles with fans eagerly anticipating the opportunity to even catch a glimpse of these amazing athletes. I worked my way into the crowd near the finish line and felt the extreme excitement as the 100+ racers sprinted the last 50M to the finish line. It lasted only a few seconds. It was amazing. A world class biking event right here in Columbia. It was a dream come to true. Unfortunately, looking around, I noticed that not many people had commutted to the event with their bikes. Traffic must have been a nightmare. Fortunately, my group of friends and I realize the advantage that bikes give us for quickly arriving to large events, getting right in the action (yes the cooler was once again hydrating the masses), and getting to park where we like every time!

Am I seeing double Elvis?

The Columbia finish of Stage 4 of the Tour of Missouri


Arial view of Columbia and the Tour of Missouri
Photo from www.tourofmissouri.com

The rest of the week involved the usual commuting back and forth from home to town. At one point, I needed to mail a large number of promotions for Off Track Events: 225 packages to be exact. On a normal month, I would simply put the packages in the back of the car and drive to the post office. This month I strategically stacked the small packages to all fit into the promotional trailer. Biking the few miles to town felt like I was hauling people on the Shakespeare's pedicab at times. But, once I arrived at the post-office, I felt satisfied with my accomplishment. Off to the post office. Spending extra time bike commuting has helped me appreciate the senses that are often lost when traveling in a vehicle: the change of temperature in the middle of October, the aroma of fried chicken as I pass by the nearby grocery store, spotting lost treasures on the side of the street as I commute from place to place. These quick and personal moments are another reason why bike commutting is a grand adventure to me.

My four wheeled transportation

Low Car Diet (LCD) Week 1 - Promotional Pedestrian Power

It's back again. The Low Car Challenge. Last year, it was a fun but challenging adventure through the month of October with a long commute from St. Charles and steady bike transportation around Columbia. With confidence high and excitement to create new experiences, I eagerly signed on for another round. What surprises will September bring this year?

Gearing up for the Heart of America.

With the experience of last year I know that one of the hardest challenges of not using a car is accommodating to the demands of the busy world. Being certain places at certain times, transporting people and materials, and being able to schedule extra time in the day to get to where you need to be at the appropriate time. I volunteer for Columbia Second Chance and I know that there are animal rescue and foster issues that I will not be able to handle successfully on a bicycle. If an important situation arises, I know that I will have to forfeit my oath to leave my car where it is parked.

Masked men on the course!

One of the hardest challenges for me this month will be the promotion and course setup for Off Track Events a series of social events (sometimes known as "races") that will begin late September and run through the middle of November. With thousands of brochures, posters and promotional material I know that I will need to think outside the box this month. To help in the success of the promotions I borrowed a friends trailer and with it built a three poster long billboard that faces the traffic behind me. A traveling advertisement that every car and pedestrian behind me will see. I once again feel the excitement creating a new daily routine without the comfort and ease of a automobile. Let the games begin.

Matt running a section of the marathon.

The Heart of America Marathon was labor day - and I was ready to return to the course the second year in a row. However, I would not be running in the event. I would be entertaining. With the help of Matt Drier and Alex Grigsby's party tandem bike, runner's were treated to a traveling aid station trailer with a cooler of water, backpack stereo and as many twizzlers as they eat. The expressions on the runner's faces were priceless as they saw two masked men on a tandem bike offering them refreshment's and encouragement. Powergels were distributed, nutty bars were eaten and even an adult magazine was brought out to inspire. What a blast!

Although, I only biked the marathon, I still felt a level of extreme fatigue for a couple days. Luckily, I work from home and was able to hide out and avoid much commuting for a couple days. Rest and recovery for the days ahead. Plenty of commuting miles to come. Thursday night I headed to my part time job as a pedicab driver (I like to tell people that I am a professional cyclist) for Shakespeare's Pizza. I have been working as a pedicab driver for a couple weeks and was a little nervous on how my first night pedicabbing a twilight festival would go. I imagined it would be a stressful night of hauling endless rowdy teenagers around the downtown area with heavy traffic cutting me off at every corner. I was wrong!

"Anybody want a free ride on the pedicab?"

Photo by: Serkan Gurbuz

A couple downtown blocks were closed down and only open for pedestrians. Bands were playing around every corner and people were everywhere. A woman asked if I could give her daughters a ride around the block. I told them to jump in! I biked up to the top of the elevated block than did a roller coaster switchback to the bottom throwing in a couple curly cues along the way. By the time I got to the bottom, there were kids lining up to take the next ride. Everybody was waving as the kids laughed and screamed (maybe from fun maybe from terror). I did rollercoaster rides for another ten minutes before the street became to busy and then returned to my loop around the downtown District. After three plus hours of a full night of pedicabbing, I was exhausted. Sleep never felt so good. Let's see what week 2 brings...

Best job ever.
Photo by: Serkan Gurbuz

TRANSIOWA III

Here is the race report for the TransIowa III (http://transiowa.blogspot.com)- Thru the miles of MikeD - photos courtesy of other riders (besides the self portraits)

At 4 am Saturday morning, my friend Grazhopper and 80 other sleepy eyed but adrenaline fueled riders began the TranIowa Ride. The TransIowa Mountain Bike Race is a non-stop, self-supported, solo competition along the gravel roads of rural Iowa. Starting and finishing in Decorah the 325 mile route was broken down into about two dozen cue sheets. Riders were give the first set of cue sheets (for the first 130 miles) at the beginning of the race and after finishing that distance are given the second set of cue sheets with the rest of miles. Riders had 34 hours to reach the finish line or face disqualification.

The front pack quickly surged up the steep hill at the starting line and that was the last we would see of them. Bike blinkers could be seen scattered for miles on the dusty roads before dawn broke. The first few hours of navigation was as easy as following the bike lights in front of us. In my opinion the hills of Decorah are the best that Iowa has to offer, in the start of the ride we climbed up long steep hills and then roared down them like a bumpy out of control rollercoaster. Soon the lights on the bike were replaced by daylight and we were able to view the beautiful rural area that we were traveling thru. Grazhopper and I held a steady 16 mph for the first couple hours - We knew the the first hundred miles would be the easiest. The 2nd hundred would probably kind of suck. And the third? We didnt know, we had never gone that far before.

After 45 miles I noticed that Graz wasnt smiling and wasn't laughing at my jokes so much.

"Why don't you bike ahead of me for a while - I need to throw up" - He said in a calm tone - I biked ahead and noticed from over my shoulder him throwing up for the next 5 miles. Now Graz is one bad ass dude and if he even hints that he is feeling uncomfortable, I imagine that he is on the brink of death. About a quarter mile from the first town he actually got off his bike and sat down for a few seconds. Yes, it didnt look good. We reached the convenience store and it was evident that in his condition there was no way that he would reach the first 130 mile check point in the time limit, or finish the rest of the route. It was tragic seeing his stomach get the best of him (we think that it may be because of the 3:30 am salami sandwich *see photo) - He had driven all the way to portland to be here and now he had to throw in the towel. I bought him a gatorade, scavenged his bike for parts and continued on.

The weather was perfect that day. Mid-70's, Sunny and a good wind. The next80 miles I kept a steady social pace and conversed with riders as we passed each other. About half the riders rode single speed bikes, one of the finishers even road a fixed gear entire way. Humbling to say the least. On a distance rides of this nature, I have learned that there is so much importance of staying well hydrated and eating as often as possible. Every gas station or deli the route traveled by (not very many) I made sure to eat plenty.

I reached the 1st and only check point around 4 pm - I was given my second sheet of navigational directions. After a nice stretch on the Cedar Valley nature trail it was back to the Iowa hills and some awesome level B roads. Although that first checkpoint was only 130 miles into the ride, it would be the last time that I would see another biker rider (besides a half dozen that were in the process of dropping out) for the rest of the entire race. 200 miles solo ahead.

I stopped at a Traer at sunset for my last meal before the Sunday dawn. Talked to one of the leader riders who had blown out his knee and had to call itquits. Really cool guy. He had been waiting 2 and half hours for a ride. I sent some text messages to friends and checked the ones received. (besides this stop it was the only interaction that I had with anyone besides gas station attendants and myself until the end of the race). The night was back. It was a long time until dawn.

2 am I encountered my personal obstacle course. On a 5 miles stretch of road I got my first flat tire - After replacing the tube with the spare - I noticed the the spare tube had a faulty valve and didnt hold air. I realized that I forgot my patch kit and was on my last spare tube. Better hold. Then I couldn't find my turn off of the road that I was on. My odometer was miscalculated to the distances on the cue sheets and I couldnt find the road that I was to turn onto. I hammered back a 3-4 miles back up the road without luck - Actually very bad luck. Because after hearing a pop I realized that my chain was lying broken in the road behind me. Crap. Now, I was getting frustrated. I dropped a link in the chain and put it back on the bike. Wait...I realized that I forgot to loop the chain through the derailer. Thats not going to work. I popped out another pin and took off the chain again. For the next 5-10 minutes (felt like forever) I struggled to remember how to loop the chain through the derailer and reconnect it to the bike. I have done this plenty of times successfully in the past. But I could not remember or figure it out as I sat on that gravel road that morning. Finally, it came to me. The chain was reconnected and the bike was rolling down the hill. I finally was able to get on the right road. It was 3:15 am. The cut off as 2 pm - Would I have time to complete the remaining 130 miles? At that I decided to reset my distance odometer after every cue point. And focus on the ride one turn at a time (1-8 mile stretches). I knew that I had to ride hard to make it in time. I set my mind that I would make it in time.

In the next couple hours there were two closed roads were flooded with some really deep water. I actually feel off the bike and into the water on one of them. It was so much fun. Morning came...miles and miles past... hours past...just kept on staying focused on the goal. I was making some great time. The roads became rolling hills, there was a great tail wind. My legs and body were feeling great. Things were really going my way. Fantastic!

I knew that I had plenty of time to complete the 185 miles that were on the second set of cue sheets - Just one more page of cue sheets before the finish - Time was 12:45 pm on Sunday - I finally turned the page for my last page of mileage - Now I remembered the the second set of cue sheets from my initial glance coming in at 185 miles which was only 10 miles to go. Ten miles in 1 hour 15 minutes. No problem. Even if there were some killer hills at the end I would be fine. I turned the page for the final sheet - 195 miles was the total distance. Holy crap, I had another 10 miles ontop of the 10 miles I thought. Double the distance in the same amount of time. Even though the legs were turning to putty, I was able to hold 20 miles an hour for the last hour. The last half mile was a steep hill that I dismounted and walked 3/4 up. When I saw the finish line, I jumped back on the bike to give the the illusion that I had actually biked up. 15 minutes to cut off, I received a great welcome from the volunteers as they cheered my in. 325 miles - 33 hour 45 minutes.

I have never been so happy to be the last place finisher at a race. 21 finishers total. I even won two six packs of microbrew beer for my efforts. It made it all worthwhile.