It's been a month since this event, and I've tried to write this post for a couple of weeks now, but I keep putting it off. Not for any good reason mind you, just laziness really.
Friday Aug 24th- We had planned on leaving town around noon to make the 4 hour trek north to Wichita Falls. Will joined Boy Scouts the weekend before and was going on an overnight camping trip that left town at 6:30 pm. Justin ended up having to work later than he thought he would as well. I found another scout for Will to hang out with that was also going camping so we could leave by 4pm.
We didn't want to go through Dallas traffic at 6pm on a Friday night so we took the back roads. We ran into a bunch of cows, so beautiful country side, and road construction with flaggers and one lane roads. Even just gravel roads. It was an adventure just getting there!
We get to the hotel at 8:30 and when I check in they inform me that there was a computer glitch and have over-sold. They don't have my room (which was reserved in April!). They had opened a new building just that day for this event and did I want to see if that room had a pull out sofa that would be ok. So I walk over to the other building with the front desk lady, see that it does have a pull out sofa and take the room. I just wanted to get the kids in bed since we had to be up at 445!
We get in the room, I go to make the pull out bed and it's just a single, only part of the sofa unfolds! And there aren't any linens in the room. I call down to request some and then go to get them. It was a hopping place with all the cyclists checking in. The front desk lady hands be sheets and a duvet cover saying that's the only blanket they have. I tell her that's not ok and not a blanket, that I need an actual blanket for my kids. She goes and finds one!
When I get back upstairs I find that Caroline hasn't gotten her shower yet because the water won't work in the bathroom!! So I call back down and am told the repair man is in my building and should be down soon. Apparently I'm not the only one having this issue! 9:30 the repair man is in the room trying to fix it. From his broken English we understand that he can't get the shower to work only the tub part. But he also failed to get the water to turn back off completely. I'm not talking a little drip, drip. But a nice little continuous flow ALL NIGHT LONG.
Breakfast was great the next morning and we headed over to meet up with the group from the bike shop we rode with in KS. A mom of one of the teenager riders was going to keep Caroline and Eric all day for us. She was also going to meet us at the SAG stops that we had agreed to stop.
We went to our assigned city block to start. We couldn't even see the starting line! I've never in my life been to a bigger race. Over 13,000 bikers doing various distances from 10k-100miles. Incredible!
We had a fly over which was super cool.
The group from KS. Not all did the 100 miles but we started together.
Mike (Justin's good buddy and usual riding partner), Justin, and me at the finish!!
Starting again after one of our SAG stops. Notice not a cloud in the sky...the race lived up to it's name. My Garmin said the temp was 111!! And it was quite windy as well.
Another from the starting line.
A view of the crowd looking towards the starting line.
Screen shot of me during the race from the official photographer.
After with Mike. Don't let my smile fool you, I was TIRED!
Justin on the course. He was just having an easy Sunday ride. I suffered!
Another before shot.
Not red-faced and exhausted yet!
I finished riding 101 miles in 6 hours 24 minutes and could not have been prouder! I had never in my life ridden more than 70 miles and that was last year! With moving, I didn't get the longer distance training in that I had hoped for, so I was concerned about being able to make it that far.
After the ride we went back to the RV camping area where all the people from KS were camping. And had a big potluck cookout. I ate so much food! I had finished eating, Justin had finished, and we were going to start saying good-bye when Eric stepped around/over a dog (he was on a leash at his owners feet) and the dog bit his leg.
Eric looked down and screamed at all the blood, I jumped up and using the napkin I had in my hand put pressure on it and told Justin we have to go to the ER. SO he scooped Eric up, we found Caroline, a friend was there and they were in the RV. And we got in the van.
But the van wouldn't stay started!!! It would turn over and then die. It felt like forever before it would start and stay started. Others were offering their cars for us to borrow. Thankfully the ER was only 5 minutes away and they took us right back. 10 blue stitches and 3 hours later we left the ER and headed back to the RV area to get the stuff we had forgotten in our rush to get to the hospital. Everyone was so glad to see that Eric was ok, and he was soaking up all the attention!
We had planned on making the trip home that evening but getting started at 930pm for a 4 hour trip after our big day didn't seem like that safest choice. So we drove to Fort Worth area (about half way) and spent the night.
Will was scheduled to be home between 10-11 so we headed out pretty early so we could be home in time to go pick him up. About 30 minutes after we get on the road we get notified that the scouts are returning home earlier than planned! Ugh! We won't be home in time to pick him up! So I had to call in another favor and let them know what had happened and when we would be home.
We get home, Will gets home, and everyone unpacks. Then we find out that Will has several severe burns on his foot! They are big nasty blisters, some have broken open and have been bleeding. Poor fella spilled boiling water on his foot while doing dish duty. So I bandaged him up after he had taken a shower.
We relaxed the rest of the day because Monday meant it was the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!
We are crazy!
Dog bite pictures below! You've been warned!
