Barry-Roubaix and Yankee

I told Megan to grab the camera so we could take some pictures. She said it wasn't in the van...so no pictures. (later we found it).

Barry Roubaix:

Zack, Megan, and I headed out to the Aid station for our shift. We got to see a ton of people from the 35 mile course go flying by. We got there early enough to see how the aid station worked and got some pointers from the other volunteers. I have never volunteered before and it was a very fun time. Seeing the race from a different perspective is always good. I have always appreciated what the volunteers do for the events, and now my appreciation is even greater. Getting a simple thanks for helping gave us a good feeling. To see the suffering on some of the faces and the enjoyment on others was also interesting. One of the 65 mile riders stopped to refuel. He was totally out of gas. He took a little of everything we had to offer him. He hinted about bailing and catching a ride, but we filled his encouragement bottle and sent him on his way. After we were done cleaning up we headed back to the start/finish area. We passed this same rider and decided to stop at the campground and get out to cheer him on again. He had a huge smile and said thank you. It made the little bit of time we offered worth more than anything we could have been given. Congrats to all of the racers!


Yankee Springs:

We bought the kids new bikes on Thursday and Friday. I took them out to Yankee for a ride after the Barry race. After a crash 25 yards down the trail we were off. Zack sped ahead and stopped at the first shortcut, which offered him a long rest. Megan took her time and pedalled up all of the hills. I was very impressed with the way the kids handled themselves on this trail. It is the first time they have ridden out there (minus the 2 mile loop on the north side). We took the first shortcut at the top of the ditch climb and headed back. The only scare Megan really gave me was when she almost flew off the trail. There is a creek on the left and a decent drop to the water. She held on and tipped away from the water, thankfully. She was running out of gas towards the end but she gutted it out and kept going. We managed 5.5 miles of riding...but time was no object. It was a fun day of spectating and then riding.