Today is Martin Luther Kings day. On Saturday Team Virtus who are a bunch of stinker adventure racer and orb folk organized a big ol' group ride on the ol' Berryman Trail down in Steelville, MO in celebration of Dr MLK. I showed up wicked early so that I could potentially ride a double BT, given if I was feeling up to riding a second lap after the first loop of 27miles of single track. I've only touched my orb twice since BT Epic in late October. Once to put some new wide bars on and then second to try wide bars and ride a loop of BT a month ago. Btw, I'm 100% not sold on wide bars, just sayin'.
Get outta the van and pedal over and peruse the campsite and find all the Team V folk and associates are still nestled away in there tents and sleeping bags sleeping away out of their drunkenness and into their hangovers. There was one of the biggest empty bottles of Fireball laying on the ground next to a smoldering fire pit. I let them all be and returned to the van to get ready to ride.
I hit the trail at 7:45, and only saw some hikers the whole first loop and finished in 2:40. Not bad.
Finishing the first loop I was feeling wrecked and was already debating a second. Funny how just a quick hang out sesh at the van shoving some food in your face will help you forget the pain. So I headed out for el' numero dos. 10 miles out I was committed with cold wet fingers and ice still in my beard. Yes it was still cold enough for ice in my beard and I was told so by Rogo-A-Gogo who I coincidentally bumped into on trail just one moment after I washed my bike out on a uphill leafy switchback. Rogo didn't see my fall :(.
Shortly down the trail I began running into moar riders from the big group. Hello's and courtesies were exchanged. By the time i was passing by Brazil Creek campground I came up behind the famed Super Kate. Kate, the pleasure was all mine friend. We rode together to the road where there was a big ol group of folk straight chillin. Mini bottles of spiced whiskey and sweet tequila were shared and then we all got a move on. The Mitch and I had some chit chat and I slowly rode away from him on a climb. He had his granny gears that he was all the moar willing and able to use, ain't no shame in that! However, shortly down the trail I went into a crazy bonk only 10 miles out from done, and had to stop, shove a berry pomegranate chia cliff bar down and take a nature break. The Mitch passed me and I gave a good pre digested still bonked push to catch back up to him. Poor dude though, his granny gears turned against him and sucked his chain into the spokes. I caught him on a switchback where we tag teamed that lodged chain and came out victorious with a bike that was ridable out of the woods!
Four miles out I ran into some moar folk who were taking a breather and "Shoot shoot shootin a GU!" as I was told. It was here that I accidentally gave this girl Stephanie wrong mileage to the end. I said 2 miles when it was 4. OOOPS, sorry.
My arms were starting to blow out and legs loosing power. Less than a mile from BT campground I had another really dumb fall were the front tire just slid off the trail and I landed on my right hip. It was a ouch for sure man, but only a bruise. I limped back into BTCG were I ride straight over to Team V's site finishing the second lap in about 3hrs. I promptly sit my lil' buns down next to the fire and hang with Bob Jenkins and Anatoly. Shit was shot and then I went to change out. Came back over and chilled for a bit longer and then boogied on out of that place making my goodbyes. It was a great day at the end.
On my way home I was once again obsessed with the thought of how amazing the body is and what it is capable of. I know I always bring this up, but it still blows my mind every single time! Don't get me wrong, pulling a double Berryman was not easy at all. The body was really wrecked out afterwards and Sunday. The fact that I was still able to kick it out is what still surprises me. Even though I do a bunch of big stuff, it all still knocks me off my rocker . I guess I still don't believe what I'm capable of, or maybe just have a short term memory problem?
Anywho, I'm doing well if anybody was wondering. Also, if anybody has any great photos from Saturday email em to me and I will post 'em. freeawesome3@gmail.com
I almost forgot! So Luke was really hung over to the point that it was incapacitating. Poor guy "Never again!" I heard him say. My heart went out to him because I've had two really bad hangovers pretty recently. Lucky for Luke he had Super Kates cookies to nurse him back to life!
-peat
It was so fun to catch up with you for a while trailside. And what you fast people can do on a bike just amazes me...and gives me something to aim towards.
ReplyDeleteLuke totally earned that hangover, too.