Flying to a race is always a lot harder because it's so much tougher to pack everything. After my last hard training rides over the weekend, my next couple evenings will be spent getting ready for the big east coast trip… How do you get all this in one suit case – cycling clothes, shoes, regular clothes, spare tires, mud tires, tubes, tools, stans, drink mixes, umbrella, fan (I cant sleep without it), etc… Almost none of these things will go in the bike case because the heavier it is the more likely the bike is to get damaged, and the more they will have to unpack (and not re-pack properly) when inspecting it. Then what about a spare wheelset? That’s pretty nice to have when racing 5+ lap races on the east coast where mud and flat tires are as common as the maple syrup. Do I have Beth lug the giant cardboard box though? I’m not sure my bike and case will fit in our rental car when we get there as is.
And of course our work schedules make things tougher than they should be. All flights from West to East Coast get there in the evening. Since the race is Saturday the only way to pre-ride Friday is to fly Thursday… Beth has to work Thursday… So I’m flying out in the morning and spending the night near the airport in Hartford. Beth is taking the red-eye Thursday night and I’ll pick her up Friday morning. Crazy, I know, but I took the Thursday red-eye for Nationals in Vermont a couple years ago and it’s not a good idea.
I do feel rested already after some really good training last week and work is fairly mellow right now so things don’t seem too overwhelming. Racing with the East Coast crowd is always fun and Vermont is a great place to unwind from all the other busyness of life. Cant wait!
Just getting started
Just getting started
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