I doubt I can match Lister's epic tale of track racing, but here goes.
I arrived at Western Speedway at 8:30. The course had been staked the night before but still needed to be taped. IRC had a crew on setup since about 8:00. Once the course was taped we took a preride. 2km and 9 minutes at an easy pace. Yikes, too short a lap. With a short lap, there is more data to enter, more people get lapped. Results are more time consuming, not usually a big deal, except at the series final we need standings done asap after the last race ends. It was cold, no building to hang out in like 2 years ago at Shawnigan Lake. The lap need to be longer.
I joined the IRC crew to increase the lap times. That means more distance and more corners. We didn't have much time. Here is the original course compared to the modified course.
Notice: More squiggles. They slow people down. Sorry Brad, the curb was part of my design changes, as was the hairpin behind the dumpster that seemed to cause a lot of crashes.
At 10:30 I was still taping, Norm was calling for Adam to lead the beginner clinic, but he was nowhere to be found. Apparently he was teaching his brother (Who was riding my old Empella) how to use clipless pedals 30 minutes before the start of his first bike race.
I took the beginner clinic, since it needed to start, if we were going to keep the event on schedule. I did some graceful mount / dismount demos while wearing jeans. Crashed while demoing the moto cross track. I'm not sure if anybody in the clinic noticed until Lister started heckling. One beginner broke her chain during the clinic, which was surprisingly hard to find in the mud. I sent her off to get it fixed by anybody who was willing to help. Apparently Adam fixed it, I'm not sure how, since I thought he had joined me to lead the clinic. I guess he had left. Norm now knows Adam's name, which made his day.
I finished up the beginner clinic with about 5 minutes to spare and sent them to the start line. At the start line we had the first mystery of the day. One rider, from Seattle, was missing. We figured that a Seattle rider wouldn't travel to race beginner so we figured he was written down on the wrong start list. We started the race without him. Turns out we were kinda right, since he raced Intermediate and won. But, his number also appeared on the beginner timing sheets finishing back of the pack. No idea where the phantom rider came from, since he wasn't on the start line.
There was a large ice patch to the right of the start. Norm warned everybody to stay left, and the beginner men managed to get away safely. Beginner women weren't so lucky, one of them hit the ice and took a tumble. We needed to do something about the ice puddle. I went to break up the ice by stomping on it, stomp stomp stomp slip... flat on my back. Ouch. Decided to just cone it off instead and move the start line several feet to the left.
Race on. Time to get to results, I'm behind schedule now. The computer isn't set up. I haven't found power. I'm running around a little frantic. I get setup. Now the software isn't quite working right. Arg. I need to get the beginner names entered before their race ends.
My brother is in his first cross race, on my old Cannondale. Why do I have so many old cross bikes? He's got a decent lead on the field, Norm is heckling him with the megaphone until he rides right off the course distracted. Hmm.. that spot needs a bit more tape. Katie later sees him riding around the oval, apparently he isn't so good at staying on course. He finds his way back on course but has lost first place. He regains it quickly and wins his first bike race. He probably should have raced intermediate, but I'm not sure you are allowed to do that in baggy shorts and a DH jersey.
Beginner race finishes. Time to get the results in. Arg, why aren't they sorting correctly. Intermediate races are starting soon, need to do the start lists. Search the series standings to rank riders for callup -- there needs to be a way to automate that. Now to enter the intermediate names -- 40 men / 22 women, that's a lot of typing for cold fingers. I get the names entered before the race ends, I have a few minutes to chill.
Somehow Adam and his mom have gotten the megaphone. They take turns heckling the riders and each other. Funniest thing I've heard in months.
Intermediate race finishes, time to enter results. I recruit a friend who came to watch to read me numbers. Once the results are entered it's time to fix results. If you ever do this, you will understand why it's important to wear your number the right way up and on the correct side of your body. Katie's magic spreadsheet has turned an all night job into a 20 minute job or so. I've got the intermediate women's race done and men's close. My race starts in less than 45 minutes, and I haven't even registered, changed or eaten yet. Luckily I know the secret handshake to get a free waffle.
Register, change, hop on the bike for a bit of a warmup. I'm pretty sore now from the icy puddle indecent. I can't hold the hoods with any strength. I figure for the start I can hold the drops, otherwise it's on the tops. My usual starting gear of big ring / big cog is way under geared for the speedway start. Oops, no hole shot today. By the time I am in the correct gear and going I've drifted to near the back of the pack. Arg, that's where I'll end up anyway, but I like to attempt to get my 30 seconds of glory each race.
Sore arm means I can't stand out of the corners. I'm getting gapped exiting out of every corner -- this sucks. Mud is worse, hard to control the bike. Can't put the power down. Things are getting worse as I drift off the back of the pack. Cogs are skipping in the highest 5 gears. I stop for a wheel change, maybe a clean cog will help. It doesn't really.The mud is everywhere, nothing is working, I can barely hold the bars, I'm grumpy. One more lap for 5 and DNF.
Second year in a row I've ended the COTR season with a DNF.
Off to see if Katie needs help with results, but she's got it under control. Just need to wait for the final timing sheets to come in. Time to get changed. There are no more waffles.
Expert race is over, time to read timing sheets to Katie. It goes fairly well, but who is 112. They aren't on the start sheet. Ahh, somebody decided to wear their cycling bc number, not their COTR number.
Try and ignore the distractors, not sure what it is about huddling over a computer that makes people think you want to chat. Cut up names for the draw and then it's off to watch the prize ceremony.
Did I mention it's cold and I'm cold?
No performance awards for me this year, but I did get a toque as a draw prize and Katie & I picked up a volunteer gift.
Then it's clean up, pack up, go home. Home by 6, Katie double checks result while I acquire pizza. Food of race champions. I post the result on the website, let everybody one Facebook know, do a bit of PR and my race day is over.
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For those who are counting: 1328 words.