Garden Drinks, May 17
A season high number of Drafters showed up to face the Beast of Barlow; 23 in total including 3 Short Pour riders (well done, Badger, Columbus and Daisy).
The executive decision was made to abandon the split departure times in favor of one unified group at 5PM. And you know how that story ended....
Riddle: What is always first and last?
The First Team (formerly the B team, but who can classify these 3 beasts as B unless is stands for Badass?) objected to the executive order. Footer pleaded the case: " If we leave at 5PM, everyone will be done drinking beer and gone by the time we are back." Objection stands.
Let's take a closer look at the line up.
Fortunately for Vintage, Thing 1 starts Medical School at the UW this fall and will provide at home care. For a fee. After the gravel event Saturday, she was found at Ringle reviewing her anatomy.
Tick Tock made his 2021 debut. "I picked the worst effin' ride of the year to show up!" Don't let the Beast get you down. Keez didn't. Coming from the plaines of Iowa, with her 53-39 chainrings and 11-25 cassette spread, she debated avoiding the Beast and riding the short pour. Her mother didn't exactly point out the short pour turn off, nor did she introduce the Beast.
Miles past Barlow and the climb on Mineral Point, BrickO warned her cub of the upcoming climb on Braun. "So when are we going to meet the Beast?", the cub asked innocently. "Oh, we did that already, Keez." So much of what we dread is in our head. As evidenced by Keez then dismounting Ruby, her 15-year-old hand me down Kestrel, to walk the crest of Braun. Brains and Brawn, you CAN have both.
Vilks would argue the Beast isn't so much in his head: "It isn't a Drafter ride unless I set a new FTP and throw up twice in my mouth." Busch Latte, still left wondering what happened to the motto "we are all riding together" as he got spit out the back on Airport Road, dropped his chain on the two ghastly climbs. Romeo claimed second fastest all time male to challenge the Beast. In true Drafter spirit, he didn't know it was a segment and soft pedaled between peaks to wait for his fellow Drafters. Such a nice boy. The Beast got its claws into Z Wrecks, causing TWO flat tires. The Beast affects us all differently. Vintage made an excellent point, "Keep your friends close and your Drafters closer. Never know when you'll need a pull." Or help changing a flat...
6 Drafters were well prepared for the Beast as they had faced the Bear on Saturday, a 100k gravel race in Laona, WI.
LuLu's banana chocolate chip pancakes and an assortment of home baked cookies by Gopher ensured no one left in caloric deficit. My internal organs were sorer than my quads from the jostling around on the gravel, the endo I took on the 2 mile unmanicured section of the trail, and the copious calories I stuffed in after the race. On Sunday, the Bear participants stopped to MTB at Ringle to make sure the load of laundry was worth doing.
Columbus led us out.... on foot. That Drafter can run! Columbus discovered most of Chippewa Falls, or at least 50k of it the week prior. Finishing top 10 in her first ultra distance race, in a time of 5:09:01, despite rain and hail. Hail to Columbus.
The Draft on Monday May 17 will depart from Cannibal's house (Verona- see GroupMe for address). There is promise of garden drinks. And if Cannibal wears his apron, be sure the Drafter Team Photographer is on site. Drone Master, check your schedule for availability.
RidewithGPS link: Cannibal Ride
Download map and cue sheet:
DIRTY DRAFT: we will convene again at Blackhawk this Wed from 5-7PM. We can discuss moving to other MTB trails. It seems like most dirty drafters are coming from Middleton and on tight schedules, so I'm inclined to keep it at BH and PV until school is out and Drafters are a bit freer to roam.
Draft responsibly,
BrickO