2013 was the closest I came to cancel the trip: legs weren’t recovered from the 100k day; I didn't practice pace line in 2013; Jenny’s entire family was sick, including the Border Collies; I tried to recover for the Boston Marathon qualifier 13 days away.
I thought about friends at the events vs. cost. I kept the trip on schedule. Aunt Sherry could use some replacement Pyrex lids.
_Excursions
Casey and I exited the high way when we thought Robertson’s was a restaurant. It turned out ot be a cute little store selling decent sandwich.
Shopping didn’t work out at Round Rock outlet mall. Corning closed its store. Oakley Transitions had a cool demo; I embarrassed a salesperson by asking about the price.
_Boot maker
David and Jennifer Simmons traveled to the race with casting kit. I debated whether to acquire more skates. The 2005 laced boots were all-purpose while Mojos were only suitable for short events. A back up would reduce the risk of last minute repair like 2011. I considered other toys on my list: TT bike frame, power meter, massage chair, pool robot, and kitchen counter. New skates had high ROI.
I research frame options. Simmons wasn’t the best value, but it’d eliminate 1 excuse for height issues. I chose stability over roll and went with 3x110 hi-lo.
I monopolized the craftsman’s time. I explained my Mojo problems. David watched me skate and explained “it’s all in the cast.” He had to say that twice before I grasped the implication. David offered to fix and update the early generation Mojos free of charge.
Jordan showed up. I had a million questions but decided to go with a simple hello. I didn’t need to risk ruining his day with wrong topics. I learned my lesson with KC Boutiette. Olympic was a double edge sword. After all the sacrifices, the bronze medalist would leave the career at age of 29 to face a world where most wouldn't care about his stories. I felt for him.
Casey had his feet molded at Bont booth by multi-tasking Debbie Rice. Casey had to help manning the booth.
_Friends
I was happy to see Candy but not the ankle extrusion. She kept her promise on version control.
Jessica was slightly taller than I remembered.
I was glad to see Luke--always fun to skate with. He didn’t sing at this race.
Shelley brought mom. Her smile was infectious.
It was fun talking to Donnie and Doris over dinner. Doris gave thoughtful answers regarding Popemobile.
Ryan McGee sold his Ninja and was no longer dating Asian southern California females. I hope he’ll be Dr. McGee next time we meet so we can forget about his Justin Bieber past.
I sought vegetarian nutrition advice from Brian Shicoff and Rob Bell.
Mackowski showed up with mostly healed wounds. I didn’t expect to see Jerry and didn’t know his race plan. Timo stayed at his lake house watching The Masters. “Tiger is playing!”
I saw a guy warming up in Ragbrai jersey. I introduced myself to Jamie and didn’t think I’d see him again.
_Wave start
I let the lead pack go. Casey and Tom started at compatible speed; I joined the group.
Casey’s quads radiated excessive energy. We stayed in front. I wanted a safe team skate and arrogantly assumed 3 of us were sufficient to control the pack. I wished I discussed strategy with teammates before the gun.
Doug shouted instructions to his kids, which boiled down to “patience!”
I barked invitations, directions, and encouragements. I was Mike Harris. I missed coach’s presence. The pack grew in size: Bob, Luke, Jamie, and lots of pint-size skinsuits. Skaters sitting in for free ride. I didn’t care. I just wanted a good skate with friends.
I focused on steady pace. Casey was the strong man and pulled the lion’s share. Tom led the long downhill; I wanted him to take no chances but didn’t expect him to skate so hard against wind. A kid with T-shirt over skinsuit couldn’t wait; I let him go. We swallowed him back in--multiple times. We picked up racers with unwise starts.
We lifted the pace at lap 3 then let the half-marathoners go. No marathoner tried to escape. I felt confident about the 2nd half.
Lap 4. I took over after Tom’s downhill pull. My legs didn’t respond. I asked Luke for help on Hwy 79. Jamie also chipped in. Tom showed signs of fatigue. I was no longer confident. I focused on staying relaxed.
Lap 5 was uneventful. Skaters lacked cooperation or incentive to attack. We settled into the slower pace and picked up more racers spitted out by other packs. Casey seemed ready to kick into the next gear.
The pros lapped us. Justin Stelly and Rob Bell worked hard in the pack of 3. The only pro I recognized was Alex. He looked less like He-Man this year.
Final lap. We picked up more skaters, mostly temporarily. Casey made moves. Half the pack couldn’t respond. I asked him to wait. He had no one to race against and didn’t need another cheese grater in “open” category.
Bob Harwell hung tough; he’s my hero. Tom skated with decreased steadiness after his final pull; I stayed with him. A few kids attacked indecisively therefore annoyingly. Candy skated by herself; Gentleman Casey opened a comically large gap to let the famed racer in. Jamie improved my sense-of-direction ranking by making a wrong turn a mile before finish.
Young racers got in position for sprint; you could see gears turning in their heads. Casey pulled them. The scramble for the line wasn’t overly chaotic. Most of us were tired and/or old.
_Post race
I tried to take frames off and stripped a mounting bolt. David Simmons helped me out. If all went according to plan, these Mojos would become my rec skates.
Casey and I ran a lap. It felt good.
Avg: 18.0 mph
Distance: 28.2 miles
Time: 1:33:51.28
Lap 1 15:40.57 18.0mph 4.700 15:40.57
Lap 2 15:51.59 17.8mph 9.400 31:32.16
Lap 3 15:36.84 18.1mph 14.100 47:09.00
Lap 4 15:35.98 18.1mph 18.800 1:02:44.98
Lap 5 15:44.05 17.9mph 23.500 1:18:29.03
Lap 6 15:22.25 18.4mph 28.200 1:33:51.28
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