100K Race

On Sunday, Gary is riding in a 100K race. He is doing it with some guys from work. Work provided the shirts (think Lance Armstrong - with all those adds on his bike shirt- except not yellow, of course). They also have a small area at the finish line with a banner that advertises PNGLNG - let me think - I think I can do this: Papa New Guinea Liquid Natural Gas? OK, something like that. He bought a racing bike last time I was here, and trains every Saturday - riding further and further when he gets up in the morning. He averages 25K an hour - so should take him about 4 hours.

Last night one of the other riders and his wife came over to pick up Gary's 4 bike - bike rack to attach to the back of their car. So me and the wife (I think her name was Stacy - so I will call her that) got to meet each other before being trapped alone together in a car going down to get the guys. There is room in their car for all 6 of us so that won't be the problem.

Logistics and sweaty bodies I believe will be the problem.

First of all - they start at 5:30 and I have no clue how they are getting where the start is - either bussed or it is close enough that they are riding their bikes. Then they join up with all 10,000 other bikers - yes that is TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE ON BIKES. And ride down the gold coast.

Enter Stacy and I a few hours later. We need to find parking probably about 100K from the finish line with 10,000 other cars vying for the 100 available parking spaces. Walk to the finish line, find the PNGLNG area - since that is where they are going to meet up with us.

What do you think the chances are I am going to get a shot of my husband crossing the finish line? I am thinking zero, but would so like to have the photo! I guess sometimes you can't always get what you want no matter how hard you try - and try I will - but with zero expectation (I first better find out what color his bike helmet is, don't you think?).

So then we meet up with 4 guys that just road their bikes 100k and they all pile in the car. Ewww! I will be bringing Gary a change of clothes and the rest will too, and they discussed there might be showers around, but in his wisdom, the other guy said, "Why don't we just walk out in the ocean and rinse off (I am unsure if rinsing a sweaty, salty body with salty sea water is really going to do the trick, but at least there won't be 10,000 other guys waiting for the showers - if there are any (you know the outdoor showers at the beach).

And then we drive home.

I think it is going to be interesting, and Gary is excited. I am very proud of him for taking up this sport and he really enjoys his bike rides and discovered he likes doing it alone - either he is with guys going too slow and he is waiting for them, or going with guys that are going too fast and always trying to catch up - so not as tranquil - thus he has found a solitary sport which thrills me since he is over here often alone.

Stacy seems nice, we will have a few hours trying to get to the finish line and waiting so I am glad I got to meet her and talk with her a bit. She didn't seem scared of me at all - that is a plus in her favor!

So, when I post photos of Gary and his bike or a grundle of bikers in a couple of days - I won't have to go through this entire explanation - you will know it is photos of the race...

I know .... y'all so care ....