My Fourth Real Live Actual Race Report!

Ouch. That’s all I got to say about the Save Ferris race in Northbrook. Ouch.

OK, maybe I have a little more than that, but seriously, that course hurt, I was in full on vomit suppression mode by the time I finished lap two.

Everybody had been talking about the hill at St. Charles last week, and the course designers didn’t disappoint. It was a sled hill, the stairs pretty much forced a run up the face, and the remount was on a very slick off camber, which led into some really steep off camber switchbacks the rest of the way down the hill. No amount of hay they threw down at the turns seemed to help, but if you rode the banks right you could almost make it through without putting your foot down. Most everybody just slid sideways through it though. Coming out of that mess you straightened out onto a steep, slick downhill, which was of course off camber.

Actually, now that I think about it, I think the whole course was either uphill, or off camber, except for the parts that were uphill and off camber. M.C. Escher would have totally dug Northbrook this year.

Wait a second, there was a flat section, that’s where I biffed. I’m not sure what happened, I came off a paved trail, and hit a short grassy flat that set you up for a really slick wicked uphill slog. I was in vomit suppression mode at this point and just as the pavement was ending I was contemplating backing off the throttle a tad and recovering a little. Then I contemplated having to report to Joel that I came in last, not an attractive prospect, so I got on it again. The next thing I know I am picking myself and my bike up off the ground. I don’t what the hell happened. I hit hard enough to get the wind knocked out of me, and I’m a little stiff from it now, but all in all it was hardly Purple Heart worthy.

The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew was present and accounted for, making their presence known form a love seat they managed to set up in the middle of the course. They were in rare form with the megaphone this race. They even brought out a bugler this time. I’m not sure how competitive of a team they are, but they sure shine in the color commentary department. The best place to watch a race is wherever these guys are set up.

My own cheering section was truncated a little this time. My Mom got hung up at church, so her and Son#1 opted to stay in and get dinner ready for us after the race. The Warden and Critter braved the weather though.

If you look closely, you can see a baby tucked in there, that is Critter.

I'm trying to figure out why all the pictures of the warden and Critter came out OK, but all the pictures of me are either dark or blurry. Are you trying to tell me something Babe? It's probably just as well, who wants to see my pale sweaty ass trying not to puke in close up, well lit detail?

For those of you who don’t know, the North Western burbs of Chicago are where John Hughes made a good number of his most famous movies, like 16 Candles and Breakfast Club. Parts of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off were filmed in Northbrook, Illinois and the promoters used a line from the movie, “Save Ferris.” Actually I think it as more of a sight gag, I think it was written on a water tower in the movie. Another interesting note- I was actually in that movie. My junior high school marching band was in the parade scene. We are kind of a red blob you can see in the back ground as they pan out on the parade scene, but I was there, and had to sign a release and everything so they could use that footage.

So anyway, the race vitals –I came in 52^nd out of 55 racers. With all the rain and sleet we’ve had the course was pretty brutal. I think if I had another 2 or 3 teeth on my freewheel I would have been set. That was my first race in anything remotely resembling adverse weather, and I survived, I guess I’ll just have to be happy with that.