My pre-race packing routine normally consists of collecting
items I will need in a bag two nights before the race. This time tested strategy allows me to add
items I may have forgotten as I think of them through the next couple
days. I was following the same pattern
for the 2015 Almanzo 100. I had my
helmet and pump laid out in the garage and smaller items placed in a duffle bag
in a spare bedroom. To complete my work
week, I planned to finish a few items for “the man” in the morning through a couple hours in the
afternoon of the Friday we were to travel to the race. Everything was going according to plan,
except I was fielding several requests for work which were unexpected and in
addition to what I planned to get done for my work day. When it came time for us to start driving, I threw
things into the car in a rush. I had the feeling I was forgetting something. About an hour away from home I realized I had
forgotten a PB and honey sandwich I planned to eat at mile 40. Not a big deal to forget the sandwich, I can
grab a doughnut at breakfast and put it in my jersey. However, this set my brain on full paranoia
mode and I began to worry I had forgotten my helmet, which lead to the fear I
had forgotten my entire bike duffle bag.
My support crew (wife) was able to spot my helmet in the heap of bike items
I had hastily placed in the trunk, however she could not see the bike duffle
bag.
We finally stopped driving at the two hour mark to take
inventory of the trunk. As I was getting
out of the car I discovered I had dropped an M&M between my legs and was
grinding it into my khaki shorts producing a nice dark brown smear. To further brighten my day, I confirmed I had
forgotten the sandwich and the bike duffle.
I had no kit, no shoes, no electronics, no eyewear, but I did have a
bike, helmet and food (except the sandwich).
There was no bike shop in the area, so no opportunity to buy these items
before the race. I quickly contacted a
friend who was driving up the morning of the race and asked her if she could
break into my house and bring my bike duffle to the race. She was concerned enough for my pre-race sleep
that she dropped what she was doing to go search for the bag and sandwich. She was successful in the mission, problem
solved. Now, despite looking like I had
lost control of my bowels, I was able to relax a bit.
The forecast for the Spring Valley area indicated a high temperature
of 78°, but there was a 40% chance of a stray thunderstorm after 2:00 PM (0%
chance before 2:00 PM). Since the race
started at 9:00 AM, I calculated I should only be about two hours from the finish
by 2:00. In warm temperatures rain is
more of a nuisance as there is little chance of hypothermia. The wind was also predicted to be from the
south, which was good news as the course direction of travel is mostly north
the last 30 miles. I checked the
forecast again at breakfast and it had not changed. We checked out of the hotel and drove the 15
minutes to Spring Valley to meet our friends and fellow racers from the Newton
area. As we were arriving in Spring
Valley, I noticed a few drops of something on the windshield. A quick check of the radar indicated there
were showers in the area. By 8:00 it was
sprinkling heavily.
This picture was taken out the car windshield shortly after 8:00 AM.
As luck would have it, we arrived at the designated meeting
location at the same time as the friend who was transporting my bike
duffle. I was able to get the bag and
quickly kit up. In 15 minutes the rain
had ceased, but the damage was done to the gravel roads. I knew there would be some slop on the
surface, but not enough to affect my overall race speed.
