Chris has been cycling now for oh... 6 years...maybe longer. Cycling has improved his physical and mental well being as well as, if I'm honest, given him an even more kick ass, well..... ass!
He rides appx 20-25 miles a day during the week and occasional weekend rides. It has all led to this.. his first road race!
Sunday we awoke at 5:15am (wow.. I haven't seen the front end of a sunrise that early in a long time) and left the house by 6am due East to beautiful, exotic and hot as hell Modesto! As we drove over the Altamont we saw the road was peppered with fellow motorists with bikes atop their cars... all destined for the Modesto Road Race.. a 56 mile circuit.
When we arrived at the site just after 7am it was already 77 degrees. Phew! Chris got registered, got his one day cycling license and got suited up and had time for a short warm up. The Pro's started at 8am and Chris started at 8:20am. About every 20 minutes we'd see him (Maggie more often with her sharp kid eagle eyes!) but I was able to get him in one action photo!
He rides appx 20-25 miles a day during the week and occasional weekend rides. It has all led to this.. his first road race!
Sunday we awoke at 5:15am (wow.. I haven't seen the front end of a sunrise that early in a long time) and left the house by 6am due East to beautiful, exotic and hot as hell Modesto! As we drove over the Altamont we saw the road was peppered with fellow motorists with bikes atop their cars... all destined for the Modesto Road Race.. a 56 mile circuit.
When we arrived at the site just after 7am it was already 77 degrees. Phew! Chris got registered, got his one day cycling license and got suited up and had time for a short warm up. The Pro's started at 8am and Chris started at 8:20am. About every 20 minutes we'd see him (Maggie more often with her sharp kid eagle eyes!) but I was able to get him in one action photo!
Maggie and I made sure to shake our cow bells (yay Livemore Farm & Feed!) each lap and Mags even brought a smile to one lone rider who had fallen off the back of his peleton. He was pedaling alone in earnest, 86 degrees by that point, no reprieve by way of the peleton slipstream... slogging out the miles trying to catch back up or be lapped and catch on the back. As he went by Maggie rang her cow bell and cheered him on and he managed a smile. (note the cowbell next to her in the chair :D)
When we waited for Chris to lap we busied ourselves by helping the race folks and picking up cast off water bottles from cyclists and putting them on a bulkhead.
Chris not only finished, he finished in the peleton and with nary a bike flat or road rash. Success!! We are so proud of him! He even rolled back in with a smile. (He placed #46 in a field of 65.. very respectable for a first timer!)
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