Post game synopsis

The players:
There were too many people there to keep track of. I (David) don’t know how the organizers Tim & Christian were able to do it. For me, the event allowed me to commit more names to memory. I only picked up two more names, but now I won’t be faced with embarrassing situations like running into Sue at Mississippi Market and not remembering her name. Memorizing such things is a skill I need to work on. I still don’t know the names of these two acquaintances, both of whom were racing. Also participating in the event as racers or volunteers were Jeremy, Gwen, Kelly (minus Simon), Chuck, Alec, PW, Fritz, Mark, (Dave and Ray not pictured) and a Bajillion other people (as well as Andrew Keobrick as a spectator). Heather even showed up at post-race party to give me a ride home, among other reasons. After over a year of pleading for an introduction, Chuck somehow managed to disappear at the time Heather was introduced to friends and acquaintances she hadn’t already met.

The strategy:
After the volunteer meeting and the registration event, in which Tim gave me a free tee shirt, I rode with Gwen to the starting point of the race. I left a bit early from there so as to allow myself enough time to grab a bite to eat before I had to be at the Sportsman’s Pub. It wasn’t long after the start of the race that people began pouring in. The majority of the manifests that I stamped were for racers that were not drinking, for the most part. However, for the large minority that did have a few drink stamps, it seemed like my post was the place to kick back for a while.

Andrew Keobrick had stopped in, having decided to take me up on my offer to talk shop while I was officiating. Apart form going over educational curriculums and providing internship opportunities, we discussed the open executive director position at the BPA. Still not wanting to commit to such a position as a career, I bounced my idea off him in which I could possibly take up some of these responsibilities at a reduced pay while simultaneously working my other job. He seemed to like the idea. So that may be a plan I consider pursuing at the end of the month.

The game:
There wasn’t much to it for me. A bit of commuting, a bit of stamping, a bit of drinking… and it couldn’t have been a better day for it. Not everyone stopped at my post, so I wasn’t too impressed by large numbers of people until I got to the post-race party at Grumpy’s. Just the sight of the bike piles alone was exceptionally impressive. The occupancy code violations inside the bar were even more impressive. Yet as a volunteer/spectator, I can’t do the race much justice. To see it through the eyes of a racer, check out fellow bloggers Jeremy and Gwen. Gwen’s account of the event is “fuckin’” hilarious. And don't miss Jeremy's photos.