about getting from point A to point B in the most interesting ways possible

If you're a large woman in America, your whole life is an opportunity to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, resentful and way too big. You can hide in the corner or on the couch, you can go to therapy, or you can put on your lycra bike shorts and get out there and move.
—Jayne Williams, Slow Fat Triathlete

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May 25, 2005

race worries permalink

Well, I sit on my hands. I can't wait to get the new bike. I still need to compulsively compare models, but the pink only comes in 3 speeds, and I like the pink. Oh, and I need to order the rose stickers!

Electra Bikes rose stickers

So, yesterday, I finally signed up for the Gorge Marathon. It's expensive—$92 including service charge. I barely had enough time to feel satisfied that, yes, I am going to do this, when I checked marathonguide.com and saw these recent horrible reviews. Ugh! I hate to be high-maintenance, but, um, I want races to start on time, and if I'm paying $92, I want a real start line, a clock at the finish, reasonable amounts of portapotties, lots of aid stations with the full compliment of supplies. I want to be sure that there'll be a bus that can take me from Hood River (the finish) to The Dalles (the start) that will get me there in time for the early start, and not leave at 4:30 in the morning.

That getting to The Dalles really does worry me. I wrote the contact address yesterday and got this reply:

The shuttles will leave the finish area in HR (Marina Park) one hour prior to start.

It's not inspiring confidence. I made our reservations at a place in Hood River, but now I'm questioning—maybe I need to also make one night reservations in The Dalles? Either that, or sweetie needs to haul me from HR to The Dalles.

Issue #45: we had talked about making this our first scooter trip. Hood River is about an hour away, The Dalles, maybe a half-hour further. It would be a great first trip, assuming no rain. But, if sweetie has to haul me, that means on one scooter. Is that too much excitement for race morning? Or, if we stay in The Dalles, sweetie has to haul all our stuff to HR. And does that mean we leave one scooter in HR? It's complicated!

There's the issue of making sure that I have enough fluids, so someone will have to provide support. Damn, that sucks. Sweetie isn't that crazy about races or crowds, so I hate to ask him. And I like being somewhat self-sufficient. And I guess I could if I got a super-huge backpack. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Anyways, this stuff is zapping my mental energy. That and a three hour meeting left me with a headache.

Posted at May 25, 2005

Comments

Have you checked out CamelBaks? They have a 3 liter model, and it has a couple of small pockets for goo or energy bars. Even if they have limited support, you could always fill it up at a stop. I love mine and use it on all my long walk/jog/staggers. :-)

Posted by: neca at May 25, 2005 1:09 PM