Nightmares the Night Before

By sterry on October 4th, 2010

The night before a big race is always a tough time. Is my bike clean and running smoothly? Did I eat the right dinner? Did I make the right sacrifice to the Gods of cycling? All tough questions to answer. But the past Saturday I decided to avoid all those questions by eating a PB & J sandwich for dinner, drinking 4 beers and claiming and successfully defending my house Ping Pong title. So it was with a clear if unprepared head I went to bed at midnight before the first race of the Cross Crusade season. I might have stayed up all night if I knew what lay lurking in my mind.

My nightmare started innocently enough. I’m on the starting line at Alpenrose nervous but ready to race. Suddenly Dave G. runs up to me he can’t find his jersey and isn’t ready to race. Too late! The race takes off and Dave has to stand and watch. Mins into the first lap I realize I desperately need to go to the bathroom. Using all my cunning I decided to run into one of the houses in Western Town along the course.  Relieved I reemerge ready to get back in the race. But what’s this?! My trusty Redline has been stolen! Alas the race is lost for both Daves! I’m inconsolable standing around in my team gear and looking distraught.  “Maybe” I think to myself  “Maybe my single speed is here and I can ride it!”   Oooh I found it alright but both wheels had been stolen! Not only that but I ran into 4 other guys with the same single speed all missing wheel sets.  Who would steal a wheel sets only from Masi single speeds though?  A question with no answer as I woke up right before my alarm went off.

Luckily for me the race went smoothly and no one tried to steal my bike. This Saturday I’m going to be early.