Greetings PeopleI can not remember if this was my first attendance at this bike/run event at the Greenwood Goosechase. Please enjoy...
Greetings Goofball-ers' & Friends
Introduction
The first week of summer and the weather only gets hotter. Grab a cool drink or the early hot beverage if that is your fancy and let me entertain you readers to another chapter of my life....
Saturday, June 16, 2000 Greenwood Village, Colorado - Elevation 5,???
Is it always my way or the
highway?"
Batman & Robin
Note:
June 17, 2000
"Get a camera on him. This guy is good." ::non-chalant look:: Once again I am da man. Not one video camera, but three. I manipulated my interviewers with style, finesse, professionalism and someone who is not just talking out his/her ass ::smiling:: However cute that ass might be. I told one of the interviewers I was on my third tour of the year, helping out the Children's Miracle Network and I was also riding with a friend. ::laughing:: Now Goofball-ers', if anyone saw my segment on TV I need a copy of the tape! I referred to my friend/coworker, Aimee, that we both were biking together. Now, I know (99% positive) I heard Aimee say "Yeah, I am riding with Daryl, I'm like his sidekick." LOL ::standing proud:: Me?! Having a Sidekick?! I feel like Batman and she's Batwoman or Ms. Robin. Of course, Aimee denies saying "Sidekick", but I think ::smiling:: she was still waking up and the cold chill of the morning was clouding, misfiring, her brain synapses ::laughing::To tell the truth, I think those synapse have been misfiring for some time now. woo weee ::deep breaths:: hah hah. Just kidding. =) Love ya Aimee =) I just needed to make everyone know how much I care about ya. Anyway, to this very day, well only six days have lapse, we still have different views on whether Aimee said "Sidekick" or not ::nodding head up and down:: Damn straight I am sticking to my story!
William McKinley Carson Park
I was standing at the start/finish line at 8:15 in the morning getting soaking wet. Yet, I still had a smile on my face and positive thoughts about riding. For today I was not standing alone. Aimee, my coworker/friend were riding together for the first time in a bike tour.
8:30 The beginning of the bike tour was in rain delay. The rain was coming down, but starting to lighten up a bit. I led with my "Sidekick" riding behind on her bike. Since this was the first time I was riding with my own "Sidekick" I did not know how fast or slow to pedal. I decided to follow a woman who was pedaling fast, but getting nowhere quick. Note: I reckon that's the story for some of us Goofball-ers' or maybe not. ;-0 I wanted to pass her not-too-pretty-ass, but I did not want to go too fast for Aimee. We followed the slow woman for over a mile, then I made my move. I pedaled past with Aimee hot on my trail. I had to look behind me twice and I did see a smile, a huge smile, on Aimee. Later, I learned that smile was the smile of water getting splashed off my back tire right into her face. ::laughing:: She was smiling, because that was the - shit, I cannot believe this is happening to me -- smile ::evil grin:: If I knew that earlier I would have milked all that smiling misery for what it is worth.
Holly and Belleview Ave
Aid Station one (2.8 Miles) - Go figure. I, er we, stopped and got ourselves a bagel. Not just a bagel, but a "magic" bagel. While eating, I pointed at my motobecane's back tire and told Aimee that was my new tire I got up in Loveland last weekend. Aimee gave me a dumbfounded look and said OK. Aimee was probably thinking what the hell kind of statement was that from me. ::rolling my eyes:: I do not know either. A few minutes later we prepared to leave the Aid station. ::shaking head in disgust:: I could not believe what had happened to me. My front tire was flat. And I mean flat - flat. Almost as flat as the navel I have on my helmet ::laughing and thinking pleasurable thoughts:: Darn. I told Aimee the bad news and we both headed back to the aid station tent. I asked for a tire patch kit - there were none. Long story short, we waited for about 20 minutes until I finally got a patch kit. Where was mine? I left my patch kit in my other bag when I biked in Loveland and I forgot to unpack the kit from another bag
Resuming the tour, we got onto Belleview and starting pedaling east. We had an entire lane to ourselves. Aimee dropped her "magic" bagel and soon thereafter dropped her feet to the road. I did not mind at all that she was walking her bike up a hill. I was not riding for time this time around - just to complete the 50 mile course which was the longest course that was offered.
Aid Station Two - Cherry Creek State Park - South Entrance
We did a lap of the Aid station two before stopping.
Cherry Creek Dam Road was closed to the regular traffic until noon. Riding over Cherry Creek Dam I started to reminisce back to the time I was living in Seattle. There was a low cloud cover ceiling, raining here and there, and the water in the reservoir was looking a lot like Puget Sound. The only thing absent that morning was the ship's airhorns blowing their arrival and departure.
Aimee, my sempi, did superb going around Cherry Creek Reservoir. I followed her lead and I enjoyed the "view". ::smiling:: I am referring to the view of the park, since I rarely pay attention to nature's scenery on my bike tours. Aimee only got off her bike twice going around Cherry Creek. I do not know what Aimee was thinking about when she was riding in Cherry Creek, but I rambled just so I hoped she was not thinking about how far she had biked and how far she had to bike.
Aid Station Two - Cherry Creek State Park - South Entrance
Finally, we got to the Aid Station two and I asked Aimee if one lap was sufficient for her. "Hell Ya!" was her exact response. I said OK and I told her I had to do another lap. Aimee said or nodded OK. With Aimee heading to the finish line I knew time was against me. I must be in awesome shape because I did 20 miles in an hour and 10 minutes. Yes, that is extremely well for me. I was able to lap Cherry Creek Reservoir three times before the Dam Road opened to traffic.
I past Aid Station two at 12:10 PM for the last time and continued my sprint to the finish. Eight miles through the DTC (Denver Tech Center) was all I had left. I was the last rider. Oh yeah. Being last was a new experience for me, but I felt no shame. Not one little bit. This bike tour was unscheduled, I was riding with Aimee, an inexperience bike rider, and getting a flat tire all helped in me being last. In retrospect, I felt at home. I was in my hood. Just like my training rides - I was alone and I knew the terrain which gave me the advantage of riding like a bat out of hell.
William McKinley Carson Park - Finish Line
Crossing the finish line at 12:45 PM or so I was third ... to the last rider. I caught and passed two riders during the last eight miles. Needless to say -- the finish line was packed up and gone, so was the food and almost everything else. You might think I would be furious, which you faithful readers would know what some things start the smoke blowing out my ears ::smiling::, but I was not mad. I went to the finish line booth, got my bag of goodies, which I actually got extra goodies and then to top off my extra goodies, a woman talked to the Outback Steakhouse people and managed to get me a free dinner entree since there was no lunch food left. I could not locate Aimee, but I figured she left already. No big deal for me. I was exalted over my long distance sprint riding.
In conclusion, I had a great time at the 5th Annual Greenwood Goosechase. I have completed three tours in four weeks and I still have just under two months to go on my bike season. ::huge grin:: Yes, this was not a scheduled ride for me, but I have to keep my bike legs looking their best =)
A big thanks to my "Sidekick" - Aimee. Without her I would have never made such a long distance sprint to the finish and I would not have had a witness to someone saying "Get a camera on him. This guy is good." ::manical laugh:: Oh yeah! You know I am riding that statement for all I can. =) For the record - Aimee is not my "Sidekick", but my "good" friend. However, I will still give her shit on being my own personal "Sidekick" ::Snoopy laugh::
Author's Note
December 07, 2003 - My life sure has changed since reflecting back on this tour and the year. Reading this tour journal instantly brings me back to the day I did and I still can remember how soaking wet I was at the beginning of the tour. Also, I was on the road to greatness when this year started. What I have come to notice that this story is just a short short tale in an ongoing epic tale I think I might be writing
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Until the next time....
w-i-t-h-u-t-m-o-s-t-s-i-n-c-e-r-i-t-y
Daryl
aka CalSeti
Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete
