Spokane Round and Round, Part II

The Spokane 24 hour mountain bike started with a "Le Mans" style start, which you'll most definitely want to experience via the link below.  I was skeptical about this element of the race.  We're going to be racing for 24 hours- is it really necessary to tack on an additional 800 meter lap for one unlucky soul?  Isn't this just a footnote on the weekend's guaranteed agony?  Lucky for us, Dave actually does some running on purpose, and even enjoys it, so he agreed to be our start man. 

With a gun blast, the race commenced.  I must admit, I did get quite a kick out of watching a gaggle of lycra and helmet-clad athletes trotting awkwardly across the start line in cycling shoes.  

24 hours- Spokane Round and Round Part I

I spent Memorial Day weekend with four teammates at Riverside State Park in Spokane, doing our first ever 24 hour mountain bike relay race.  This particular race has been on my radar since I learned how to ride a mountain bike, and I was thrilled to finally have a critical mass of people in my life who are crazy enough to undertake this kind of madness.  The format was to ride as many 15-mile laps as possible in a 24 hour period, from noon on Saturday until noon on Sunday.  We were nutty enough doing it on a team of five riders, but there were 50+ other uber-nuts who signed up to do the race SOLO.

Approximately three fifths of our team, dubbed the Boadcious Booties and Bulging Beer Bellies, departed Seattle mid morning on Friday, packing Tyler's Volvo station wagon to the tippy top with gear. We even had a four-bike hitch rack on the back.  JillyB's fancy Indy Fab went on the outside slot, which made me a little nervous, being the nicest of all our bikes by a factor of at least 5, and considering how low the wagon was riding.  Luckily, all the bikes (and riders) arrived unscathed after a smooth, uneventful, sunny drive across eastern WA.  We rolled into camp around 3:30pm to find an expansive scene of RV's, tents, bike racks, camp chairs, and very fit, muscly people packed in tight like sardines. Like burning man, but with Gu and Nuun instead of acid and magical cookies (and spandex instead of fuzzy mini skirts and kilts). The race directors directed us to the back of the camping area, and because Tyler boldy wove the Volvo between the trees into the woods, we scored a huge wooded area with virtually no one else around (great for letting the dogs loose, and for tired racers trying to catch some quiet time between laps).

Lupines and Arrowleaf balsamroot were in full bloom.

JillyB getting ready for a pre-ride

Bike Works Auction- People Powered Awesomeness!

Last night was the annual Bike Works auction. Bike Works, based in Columbia City, educates and empowers youth through teaching them about bikes (riding and fixing!).  They offer a wide array of adult programming too- from drop in Volunteer Repair Parties (VRP) every Thursday, where you can improve your bike mechanic skills while drinking beer and conspiring with other bike addicts, to more formal bicycle repair classes (including the ABC and DEF series), as well as some fun social bike events.  I've been a regular VRP volunteer for just over a year, and I've also assisted Bike Works staff with teaching both the ABC and DEF bike repair classes.  Last year I volunteered at the annual Bike Works auction, and I had such a blast that I volunteered to be on this year's auction committee.

The theme of this year's event was "People Powered," and the venue, Herban Feast's SODO Park, was decorated with a comic book superhero theme. "People powered" also describes the manner in which this event was pulled together.... a mighty army of Bike Works staffers, board members and volunteers put lots of time and love into making the evening fabulous.  Here are some shots of the space, and a little taste of the decor: 

Loving the lofted ceilings and old growth wood

Aren't the red, blue and yellow table linens awesome?!

Note the comic book bubbles as centerpieces... and the flaming Baked Alaska, a coveted prize during the Dessert Dash portion of the evening.  

Somehow the auction theme and colors matched perfectly with the Seattle Sugarplum elves' newest costumes, Elf Superheros!

Stripes, Calamity, Pumpkin, and me (Schprintzel)