Monday, September 27, 2010

Ed Sander Race @ Lily Pons

I was excited to see what the Ed Sander race would look like DRY, seeing as how I had only attended the 2009 race in person, and seen the results of the 2008 race when Steve returned home. Mudfests, both of them. Although the day began with some surprising showers, they quickly passed through and the course returned to a dry, dusty state by the early afternoon.

While I like cheering for all the people I know in all the different races (and I really do usually have at least one person to cheer for in every single race!), my favorite right now has to be the B men’s race. Not just because it’s what Steve races, but because I usually have half a dozen people, all on different teams, to cheer for. There is everyone in this race from a former coworker, to someone I used to go to hardcore shows with when I was 16.

Although I used to try to walk around the course a lot more during the course of the race, my strategy now is to do my walking at other times, and really just try to hunker down in one spot for the B race. Yesterday that place was the back 9, naturally. After stocking my camping chair with some delicious free beer (thanks, Flying Dog!) and waffles, I had the dog in one hand and the cowbell in the other and was ready to go.

The race was FAST this year; I think most of the races got in a good six laps, compared to last year when I think it was more like four. Most of my friends had great races, with four of them finishing in the top 25. Steve held his own on the San Jose and powered up the big hill at least twice, with ample encouragement from Mayhew, serving as emcee, and other rowdy, slightly drunk spectators.

Hung around for the rest of the afternoon drinking beers, eating vegan cookies, hanging with friends, and getting a healthy sunburn. On our way home down 270 we passed the same racer that we had seen on our way up in the morning, and gave him a goodbye wave as the day drew to a close.

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