11.4.2013 | 11:29 am
The 25 Hours in Frog Hollow is over. The last big race of a big year of racing, now behind us.
And —I mean this seriously and with no irony at all — there could not have been a more incredibly perfect way to conclude the season. It’s going to be a big story to tell, with a lot of participants. So starting tomorrow, I’ll be taking up my multi-part race report format again, and telling this in as much detail as I need.
Today I need to rest, catch up on some work, and get back home.
So for today’s entry, I’m just going to quickly jot down a bullet list of things I want to talk about in the coming days. That’s right, I’m about to give you the mother of all spoilers. Either read it and try to make sense of it, or ignore it and then come back in a couple weeks when I’ve finished the writeup.
SPOILERS BELOW
- Trash talking with Greg
- Trash talking with Kenny
- Fear and trembling with The Hammer
- The Hammer tells me to quit being such a baby about the race
- The Hammer has predictions
- The fastest warranty in the world
- 24hr race philosophy
- Our HQ location: the best there could be
- Zach, Trish, Brooks: The best crew there could ever be
- Fred
- Couches
- A microwave
- Fire
- Brats
- Riding
- Mechanics
4 singlespeeds: 2 each
Start of the race – running with The Hammer. Surprise that Kenny was ahead of us
I try to be funny and probably ruin someone’s day
I talk with Jamon and do my best to get in his head
The woman who would not let me by
“See you in 6 hours” – the folly of The Hammer’s math
MST v Beijing time: Me and The Hammer’s course positions
The Hammer is a machine
Kenny takes the race very seriously.
A ride with Zach
A fateful decision: wait, or not?
Zach=Rambo
The Hammer, a cheerfully bloody mess
More awesomeness from the crew
- Fixing a wheel
- Changing cleats
- Keeping bikes running perfectly
- Dressing us
- Keeping us warm with a propane heater
Occasionally I do something that is absolutely positively right.
18! No, 16! No, 17! Yes, definitely 17! Oh, sorry, didn’t I tell you about the 17?
Pride in cleaning something, and then pride in cleaning something well. And later not being able to get it at all
Changing expectations: Maintaining 10mph avg. to 9 to whatever.
Nearly killing Heather and asking her to please slow down
Pain and my hands
spaghetti is good
Hot chocolate is good
mac and cheese is good or it’s not
Wanting to cheat
Nice to ride together
Watching the sun go down, knowing you’ll be there when it comes back up
The trail changes at night
NiteRider is awesome
You really get to know the trail
Proud of my secret line
Boombotix pros and cons
The dread and hope tension: excited to hang with the crew, dreading having to make a choice among the huge cornucopia we had brought
Boasting about The Hammer after surreptitiously gathering competitive intel
The Hammer expresses regret
I have no response to the question, “How are you doing?”
The final lap: harder than all previous laps combined
Surprising race results
Nearly killing us by falling asleep at the wheel
Post-race soreness
There you go. Everything — but really nothing — about the 25 Hours in Frog Hollow.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Comment by MattC | 11.4.2013 | 11:50 am
Holy smokes Fatty…that will take you into the New Year to get all that out in detail…I anxiously await your stories..(sitting here wringing my hands)..
Comment by SteveB | 11.4.2013 | 11:52 am
I’m game… bring it on… looking forward to it all.
Comment by Paula Webb | 11.4.2013 | 12:04 pm
You’re back! I checked in once this am only to be reminded that you wouldn’t resume posting until tomorrow. Then I checked back because, maybe you might cheat and post a day early? Oh happy day!
Comment by J | 11.4.2013 | 12:26 pm
I think FC is on the RedBull again. I have never seen so many bullet points in my blog reading years. I look forward this blog-o-rama
Comment by Doug (Way upstate NY) | 11.4.2013 | 12:54 pm
No kidding MattC. Looking at that list, this is going to be a long story….. Good cause we have all winter.
Comment by Uncle Rico | 11.4.2013 | 1:09 pm
Have you thought of writing a book about this season?
Comment by eclecticdeb | 11.4.2013 | 1:12 pm
Getting the popcorn ready….. Take all the time you need, and give us as much detail as you can manage. I love it!
Comment by MattC | 11.4.2013 | 1:13 pm
And besides…with my almost complete lack of short-term memory, reading your ’spoiler list’ now won’t hurt me in the least…by the time you get to the posts I’ll have forgotten all about your bullets.
What was I talking about? Where am I? WHO am I? (there was a movie about a guy who had a bunch of polaroid pictures with notes written on them, cuz every time he walked out of a room or went to sleep he forgot most everything…I’m afraid I’m not too far behind that guy…told my wife if I end up w/ bad alzenheimers some day, just drop me off at an old-sailors home with my retired-ID, and they have to talk me in…and I won’t remember how to get back home anyway, or who that strange lady is who lives there w/ me).
Comment by Kukui | 11.4.2013 | 1:17 pm
You guys survived! What an incredibly busy and difficult racing season for you two! Now to rest in the off-season..?
I read the whole list and instantly regretted it because now I’m dying of anticipation!
Comment by Jason | 11.4.2013 | 1:27 pm
The drive home might be the worst/scariest part of 24-hour racing.
Comment by Doug (Way upstate NY) | 11.4.2013 | 1:30 pm
Where’s David? Is he OK? I would have expected him to be all over this post. Come on David!
Comment by Jeff Bike | 11.4.2013 | 2:47 pm
The excitement builds. I can hardly wait. We know we have good blog reading until valentines day.
60+ points, weekends, other posts we should be about the mid February at least.
Comment by Clydesteve | 11.4.2013 | 2:49 pm
OK consider me spoiled. But, and I really mean this, Fatty, I cannot believe you are stuck on 16, 17, or 18. 42. The answer is 42, and you know this.
Comment by bikemike | 11.4.2013 | 3:01 pm
Frog Hollow. Was it named after one heroic frog? Do people ever call it Frogs Hollow and then want to debate the issue? Why is it always a name issue with frogs and hogs?
Comment by Josh | 11.4.2013 | 3:28 pm
Sounds good to me. Let the detail begin.
Comment by Sunny | 11.4.2013 | 3:43 pm
great….see ya in 2 weeks! Gotta read the entire book this time at one sitting.
Comment by Randy | 11.4.2013 | 4:17 pm
Cliff notes,… awesome.
Comment by Wife#.667&davidh,washington, d.c. | 11.4.2013 | 9:25 pm
@doug, way upstate
We’ll be quiet this week as we’re on the road again…
Annapolis Saturday, my niece’s wedding Sunday (my brother is such a sap)and down to the Capitol for the rest of the week. Major kid/culture stuffing with Grandpa in tow for a few days too. rest assured we put the bikes in the safe deposit box while we’re gone so they’re safe.
As for spoiler alert? Landed in Baltimore and passed NSA on our way to Annapolis. My brother knows somebody, who knows somebody, so we’ve already read the entire multi part blog. They’re really good! The story I mean.
Comment by Wife#.667&davidh,washington, d.c. | 11.4.2013 | 9:26 pm
Uh Oh! There’s a knock at the door. Did I say something wrong?
Comment by Alex | 11.5.2013 | 3:53 am
Wife 667 is giving you a run for your money in the laughter department. haha I loved the post and comments,.
Comment by slo joe | 11.5.2013 | 6:28 am
Obviously, an O’Henry disciple you tain’t!
Comment by Jacob | 11.5.2013 | 7:18 am
You should probably stop falling asleep while moving.
Comment by Bryan (not that one) | 11.5.2013 | 9:07 am
Can’t wait!
Comment by AKChick | 11.5.2013 | 10:36 am
Yay! *clapping hands excitedly+ You’re back! We missed you! :)
Comment by cyclingjimbo | 11.5.2013 | 10:42 am
Nice long list of points to cover. Bring it / them on. We are ready and eager.
By the by, I was finally able to take the new bike out for a spin over this past weekend. Sweet, sweet ride. My son, a reasonably competitive triathlete, rode it briefly Sunday afternoon, and said, “It’s a rocket” when he came back up the driveway. I am going to have to keep my eye on him when he comes to the house, and I may need to check his car before he leaves.