Bitter Sweet Lotoja

Don't know how to feel about this year's Lotoja...it was great in some ways, but disheartening and rough in others. (I am two and a half weeks late and there are more photos to come but I thought it was time to finally post about it.)

The weather would've have only been better if it was a bit cooler but the boys were used to the heat; they've been training in it all summer long! They mostly had a tailwind for the duration of the race. They all fell good and rested and ready to ride in the morning. Michael was ready to beat Lotoja's a**, which he made clear in the morning...(sorry to out you Mike). The boys killed their best time by about 50 minutes and last years time by over 50! That's crazy! They were only 59 minutes behind the winner of the whole thing. Never have they been within that close of a margin! Bridge and I couldn't believe how fast they were going. They had determination in every breath they took. The feed zones were quick. Luckily, Bridge and I are pros at support crew! We've pretty much got it down to a science. It's quite funny. Bystanders watch in awe (well, if they are former Lotojans, but if they're not, they look at us in bewilderment). Two of us to three of them. Might I add that they are three grown men that sometimes don't know what's best for them in these confusing hours.

Although Bridge and I have become almost pro at support crew, we still feel stressed and some of the same stresses each year. This year wasn't any different and it was far from stress free. We always wonder why we do it and then by the time things are wrapped up, we know why. This year there were a few new stressful circumstances. We had one of our crewmen crash and then not much later, learned of a fatal accident close to the scene. Many of you probably heard about the fatal accident. It was Lotoja's first death in their 30 years of running. It was heart breaking and I can't imagine how the wife and children felt about their husband and father passing this way. I can't imagine Dave leaving me like that and so I pray and am grateful for his safety! 

The crash happened less than 20 miles from Alpine Junction right after we had just passed the boys on our way to get to the last feed zone at Alpine. Dave and Ry were in the front of the pack and Michael had just finished pulling. He was in the back and the guy in front of him stood up on his bike and his back tire dropped back right into Mike's front tire. They were going around 27 mph and Michael went tumbling. Dave and Ryan wouldn't have known but at the same instance, Dave tire blew so he had to stop and change it. Can you say, answered prayers?!? Bridge and I had been waiting and wondering where the boys were. We finally thought they had slowed down a bit. When they came into the stop, we started doing our job and switching out bottles, food, etc and I hadn't really taken notice to Michael until I heard him start weeping. It was a heart breaking moment, too. He had been trying to hold himself together and push through the pain and frustration and kind of lost it when he saw us. He was pretty beat up and his brand new jersey was torn up, too. Michael finished the race. The rest of the drive for Bridge and I was pretty quiet. 

The finish line came so fast. We barely missed the boys crossing the finish line because of the lines into the parking lot, which was frustrating. The boys tried extra hard for us to not be grumpy this year and they did a great job! Dave was pale like usual, but Sunny gave him V-8 juice and I think it did the trick. He also drank a ton of water, which he's found to help him not get sick as a dog after big rides. We got to have a little picnic by the finish and relax for awhile, which was a nice touch too.

Later that night, Bridge and I were still doing our job, waiting in an hour long line at Wendy's to feed our boys:)

   

Excited Davc

Mike, Sr.'s favorite

Focused Dave 

And they're off!

Poor pale Dave

Average speed

Taking a dip to cool off

Battle Wounds

Named Best Support Crew by Team Alcatraz (Dave, Mike and Ry)