craigerific

STP-the second half.

So the middle of the STP was spent as everyone else in chehalis or wherever we were. First, the orange creamsicle, next the water, then the spot in the shade, the painful pee, then after you feel satisfied, the food. Now you have your choice of the same hum drum fruit and dry PB&J with a fig newton chaser or you can go for the more civilized BBQ beef brisket with chips, pickle, and a gatorade. No choice, really. As I hunkered down to busted on that beef, I just watched all the cyclists come rolling in and realized just how weird my family is. Ah well, Im not different.

After a proper glazing of the third coat of spf 45(which one of us did NOT put on) and one more creamsicle, we rolled out. It took a bit to get the group back together but we did after about 10 minutes. Now then, I remeber vividly last year at this time just getting ready to bite down and finish this ride off strong. This year was different. The tandem was starting to pick up steam and really was powering heavy over the little rollers that seemed to be coming fast and steady. I was really struggling just to hang onto the back of the group when all of a sudden at mile 118, I blew. Really, I blew. As Jonny would say, the check engine light came on and the heat gauge went to the top. I was struggling just to peddle my cycle. I was in a spot that was dark and my mind was playing lots of games with me. I started to get emotional, pissed, and humiliated. Guys that I should be putting in the ditch were now minutes up on me with no chance of them holding up because there is nothing better than seeing Craig on the ropes and puttin the whippin on. Hubbard didnt know if he should wait for me, he hasnt been in that spot before. Me neither. When we got to ryderville or whatever forsaken place that was in lower washington, the group was in the stop but there was no way I was going to stop. fuck that. If I would've stopped, I would have had a hard time getting back on. Onto the 150 stop. I ate 5 plums and sat in the shade as the group came in a bit later. I also had a 1/2 a ham and cheese. I peeed twice and did not want to get back on the bike. We rolled into(actually, I hung onto the back) longview, the site of the bark infested bridge with a heavy crosswind and LOTS of traffic. After I caught back on, oh yeah, I got split off at a 5 way intersection when the guys decided to run the red light and I stopped, we went up the climb. I was able to set myself at the front to keep the group from going ape shit up that thing and on the way down, I took advantage of none of them being able to go down hill as fast as me. And no, Im not that much fatter!

Low and behold, we were greeted with a tailwind as we rolled onto the 30. For those that dont know, HWY 30 was the first cross country hwy. I have ridden it in four states and none of it is fun. The group eventually got back together with the exception of Conville. All I knew is the tandem was driving it, I was hanging on for dear life and whatever happened behind me at this point was none of my business. It hurt real bad and I was vocal in telling todd and crofoot to chill out a bit. Then they would say something to eachother and the pace would go back up. I was hanging on by a thread. Remember the first time you had sex and how cool it was? Well, this was nothing like that. We got to the last stop and people were shitting their shorts in the corner of the school and others were so dehydrated they couldnt walk straight. In other words they were in real bad shape. It had started to get hot and people hadnt prepared with enough hydration. You could tell. I took a bath under the water spicket and told everyone how nice it was. My foot was swelling and right leg was getting numb. The critical two was ok but everything else was getting tight. On with it. We rolled out and Conville went straight to the front. Its all downhill at this point to portland and the tandem was licking their chops. They rolled up next to me and gave me this sly look and proceeded to take it up to 28-30. I held on as long as I could and that was it. I said uncle.

The rest of the ride was quite nice. I rolled it at a good pace, kept eating till I couldnt eat anymore, and showed the kraut that was along with me different volcanoes that he had never seen. I gave him a brief geology lesson and before I knew it, I had to climb that last little bitch before we entered town. I saw some reeeeal long faces on the run in. One dude, I thought he was going to go in the ditch he was so hammered. The others wouldnt even talk. Finally, I ran the yellow light only to have the dude at the finish line yell at me and shove the stop sign in my face as I was ALREADY in the walk. Geez. I got my tag to prove that I finished. The best part was having Daniel come up to me and gloat a bit, "we did it under 10 hrs..." Yeah, bitch look at my speedo, 9 hrs. 57 min.

posted by craigerific @ 9:34 PM