Philly weekend

Rather that try to turn 2 days' worth of observation into 1 coherent narrative, I'm just going to post them as a list. I realize this may upset you; if you want to fight about it, you should be warned, I am sort of a Ninja.

--Friday's conference: I got my work done, in the nick of time. My posters were very well accepted by the conference-goers. This is like saying that my kindergarten teacher liked my fingerpainting. I worked waaaay too hard last week, given the nature of the conference.

--Saturday morning ride: Because of familial obligations, I decided to ride with the Hermes crew in the morning, rather than race the Philly circuit. I should do this more often. I'm okay with the tendency of the younger guys to sometimes look to me (far less frequently than to Mark, thank goodness) for race-related guidance, but they need to realize that I still don't know much of anything. Riding with the Hermes dudes gives me the chance to ask questions, get comfortable with a very smooth group, and test my legs in a way that riding with my own team just doesn't afford. They may be blindingly green and yellow, but they're savvy and didactic. Also, they go fast.

--Saturday morning cramp: Perhaps because I hadn't ridden in a week, perhaps because I'd just eaten a gel, perhaps because the road was a little bumpy... for whatever reason, my torso cramped up about 1 hour in to the ride. It was actually not my stomach, and it wasn't a side-stitch like runners get. It was a spastic contraction of my entire abdomen, every muscle from my hips to my ribcage. It hurt. A lot. Much love to Jenks for physically pushing me when necessary to get me through it. Now I owe him 2 beers. The cramp was gone by today. I think it's safe to say that I was probably not menstruating, but a good scientist doesn't rule anything out.

--Sunday's race: I did exactly what I wanted to do. I patrolled the front until 2 to go, attacked probably 5-7 times, covered, blocked, instigated, chased, the whole nine yards. BeastMasterChris won the bunch sprint for 2nd (UVM counterattacked brilliantly, completely outfoxing us and just taking the win). I'd like to think that all of the team's work is helping Beastie, but I'm pretty sure that he doesn't need us... in fact, I'm pretty sure that he spent more time off the front than I did.

A pretty apt summary of racing: Don rides suicidally off the front, and the portapotties loom ominously in the background

--Portapotties: The above picture and caption deserve a brief explanation. Inside the portapotties was a sign stating "Use of this Facility by more than 10 people in a 40-hour work week is unsanitary and unsafe". That translates to about 70 uses (probably far less). There were 400-500 or so racers in attendance (not to mention spectators), all consuming lots of caffeine, all trying to race without, ahem, distraction. Carnage ensued. If you were there, then you know; if you were not, then words will never suffice.

--Post-race food: I rode to a rather ghetto grocery store with HardTailJay, who was good enough to guard the bikes while I shopped. I was going to get a sandwich, but the Deli smelled rather peculiar. There was a strong scent of Roast Beef, but I couldn't quite place the other smell... and then it hit me. Poison. The Deli section was immediately next to the Ant and Roach Poison. I got a Nesquick Vanilla Milk and hightailed it out of there.

--Driving: Being neurotic before a race is something I've already covered. Suffice it to say that I'm very glad I got to the race without too much hassle. The drive home, on the other hand, was ridiculous. I call it the Drive of a Thousand U-turns. I didn't care, because I was on a post-race endorphin rush and I had nowhere to really be. Still, it took me 2.5 hours to drive from Philadelphia to Piscataway. It should've taken 1.5 hours tops.

--Dinner: As soon as I finished racing, I started eating. I didn't stop eating until I got home. This included a stop at a Dunkin Donuts, where I got more Nesquick (this time Very Banana) and a Egg and Cheese on Croissant sandwich. I ate a lot, and it was good. However, when I had dinner with the Jenksster (at the Harvest Moon, which may become a post-race tradition?), I couldn't finish my Pad Thai!!! Granted, it was very spicy, and I'd been eating all day (including those Nesquick Milks, which are highly caloric, if not actually nutritious), but somehow, it made me feel like less of a man.