First WEMS

See! Alois is a real person. I didn't make him up. (see previous post) Hopefully he'll have more to post soon having broken the blogging ice. I still have to upgrade my Flick'r account to get his slide show up and to create unlimited sets.

My first WEMS race. Pulled myself out of bed Saturday morning aching all over. (I believe the blow to my head improved my Go game) Hadn't gotten a good sleep since my crash. When did my body finally settle that I could get a restful sleep? Monday morning. I'm going down to shower and look outside and in the middle of my beautiful lawn that I keep fenced off from the dogs I got a rabbit digging up the grass. Threw all sorts of stuff at them before the pair left. Actually there was a nest under there I discovered when cutting the grass.

So is WEMS or WORS the more enjoyable forum to race at? Well they are different. No paparazzi at the WEMS race and far less spectacle. WORS is much more straight forward in its website and organization, making it easy to get started. WORS also started 'first timer' races this year which are one lap for those who want to get their feet wet. WEMS is far less intense as far as a tight field with passing issues. Smaller numbers, an endurance pace and a field well spread out as the lesser competitors start.

The Levis/Trow 100 was an unbelievably beautiful, very technical course (only $3 for a daily pass; well worth it). Riding among large boulders and rock formations with a green patina. I was spent before I started and my bike and I are having some trust issues so I didn't challenge some of the more difficult elements. But what I will call the switch-up-backs I had to shoot completely my second lap. Going up into the switchbacks then down in the turn as you work your way down the hill. Fantastic. I had my camera in the back of my jersey but when I thought to stop and take a picture I just went "ugh." Too tired and suffering to stop and pull it out. Actually didn't take any pictures. Met some nice people, some I hadn't seen in a while, but had to rush back home right after I finished two laps. Unlike most endurance races this race had set distances for the single speed championship but I had no time to ride a third lap to finish the 25 miles. But since it is an endurance series I still qualified for series points; only one lap required.

I had forgotten my riding shorts but my utility shorts with cotton boxer briefs worked fine. Don't know how it would have been if I was pushing harder. I had a old torn pair of riding shorts I wore under my shorts once and it didn't work well. Maybe the fabrics were incompatible.

As a perk for doing online surveys I earned enough points to get this new scale. It says I have 23% body fat and 52% water. Now I can weigh myself every day and make clearer associations between my activity and diet, and weight. My wife said she was going to get me one for my birthday. I guess she'll have to find something else. We like to give each other useful gifts. One year I gave my wife an electrolux vacuum for her birthday per the suggestion over the radio of a respected conservative economist. There are not many gifts she uses more. Once in a great while when I'm really tired I like to relax on Saturday afternoons and sit down and watch an afternoon movie. Saturday afternoons have some of the best movies. It seems to be my wife's favorite time to vacuum too.