This year due to other commitments I was only able to participate in Saturday's events.I affiliated myself with a team called "Slow Spokes", a wonderful group of people... I was still not ready for the 100 mile 'century ride' so I chose to ride the 75 mile course.
Our course went along the Trinity river west into Fort Worth, it was a beautiful ride... However, the planning didn't quite take care of all the important issues. The course took us on the existing bike/jogger trails so we had to merge with non-LSR foot and bike traffic, this wasn't really a big issue... the big issue was that the trail-heads and splits weren't marked at all and several times I found myself off course at least 6 miles by my estimation. Due to utilizing the trails which prohibit motor vehicles our support crew appearances were non-existent on the trails, therefore unable to help direct us. Many of riders found themselves similarly off course. This one deficiency was enough to upset a bunch of people, riders and support crews alike. This also lead to the road and safety crews being spread out too thin which could have been serious if a rider had experienced a major issue. On a personal note these issues also distracted my attention from why I was there.
At the many pitstops, spaced at about 12 mile intervals we were met with the most peculiar [new] regulation for the LSR. It would seem that some Fort Worth politician or over-do-gooder had the health department stick their unwanted crooked nose in our business. Here is what we as riders found... Sealed bottled water/Gatorade could not be opened and poured by the pit assistants because they didn't have a food handlers license. No pre-sliced food (bananas/oranges/pickles had been halved in the past to help the exhausted riders cope). OK... I can see the food spoilage issue, but preventing an assistant from opening a sealed bottle and pouring into a riders sports bottle or a Camelback bladder is 1) Just plain IGNORANT, 2) taking a rule too far outside the original scope, and 3) my conspiracy theory mind came up with pandering to the service industry similar to protecting a union. Our bureaucracy at work!! This is an event for HELPING OTHERS IN NEED not something to control or a source of revenue. We have been doing this for Eleven years, we have never needed the health department's 'help' before and it is unwanted now.
But I digress...
As I was half way thru the last leg I stopped to assist another rider that was having trouble. We called the emergency number only to go to voicemail. Finally about 15 minutes later one of the motor crews on a motorcycle stopped to render aid. When we asked how much farther we had to go, she said the finish line was another 10-15 miles... my heart sank. I was getting low on water and everything else and I was getting to that point where I needed to stop. We hung our heads and decided to get swept... yes the 'truck of shame' as I refer to it...having worked so hard to get to that one point only to give up hurts allot. My body needed to do this even though my head wanted to get back on the bike and do the last 10-15 miles. I didn't like the feeling of failure that jumping into that truck gave me.
Last year's LSR gave me memories of good people, deep conversations, and even deeper emotions. This year my memories fell considerably short.
There were still lots of great people, but no deep philosophical conversations just allot of work...
No Rider #1... Valerie had previous commitments, I hope she is well.
No Aaron, rider #306. I wonder if he ever did the 'iron man'. I hope he did it and kicked ass!
No Jim Frederick to laugh with. He is in Missouri with his parents this year. I miss him and hope he gets well again.
best wishes to the riders of day 2.
-Steve
Rider #363
Our course went along the Trinity river west into Fort Worth, it was a beautiful ride... However, the planning didn't quite take care of all the important issues. The course took us on the existing bike/jogger trails so we had to merge with non-LSR foot and bike traffic, this wasn't really a big issue... the big issue was that the trail-heads and splits weren't marked at all and several times I found myself off course at least 6 miles by my estimation. Due to utilizing the trails which prohibit motor vehicles our support crew appearances were non-existent on the trails, therefore unable to help direct us. Many of riders found themselves similarly off course. This one deficiency was enough to upset a bunch of people, riders and support crews alike. This also lead to the road and safety crews being spread out too thin which could have been serious if a rider had experienced a major issue. On a personal note these issues also distracted my attention from why I was there.
At the many pitstops, spaced at about 12 mile intervals we were met with the most peculiar [new] regulation for the LSR. It would seem that some Fort Worth politician or over-do-gooder had the health department stick their unwanted crooked nose in our business. Here is what we as riders found... Sealed bottled water/Gatorade could not be opened and poured by the pit assistants because they didn't have a food handlers license. No pre-sliced food (bananas/oranges/pickles had been halved in the past to help the exhausted riders cope). OK... I can see the food spoilage issue, but preventing an assistant from opening a sealed bottle and pouring into a riders sports bottle or a Camelback bladder is 1) Just plain IGNORANT, 2) taking a rule too far outside the original scope, and 3) my conspiracy theory mind came up with pandering to the service industry similar to protecting a union. Our bureaucracy at work!! This is an event for HELPING OTHERS IN NEED not something to control or a source of revenue. We have been doing this for Eleven years, we have never needed the health department's 'help' before and it is unwanted now.
But I digress...
As I was half way thru the last leg I stopped to assist another rider that was having trouble. We called the emergency number only to go to voicemail. Finally about 15 minutes later one of the motor crews on a motorcycle stopped to render aid. When we asked how much farther we had to go, she said the finish line was another 10-15 miles... my heart sank. I was getting low on water and everything else and I was getting to that point where I needed to stop. We hung our heads and decided to get swept... yes the 'truck of shame' as I refer to it...having worked so hard to get to that one point only to give up hurts allot. My body needed to do this even though my head wanted to get back on the bike and do the last 10-15 miles. I didn't like the feeling of failure that jumping into that truck gave me.
Last year's LSR gave me memories of good people, deep conversations, and even deeper emotions. This year my memories fell considerably short.
There were still lots of great people, but no deep philosophical conversations just allot of work...
No Rider #1... Valerie had previous commitments, I hope she is well.
No Aaron, rider #306. I wonder if he ever did the 'iron man'. I hope he did it and kicked ass!
No Jim Frederick to laugh with. He is in Missouri with his parents this year. I miss him and hope he gets well again.
best wishes to the riders of day 2.
-Steve
Rider #363
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