Left My Lungs in Ft. Davis 4/12/08 · Sep 13, 01:25 PM
Let’s just say that the days leading up to the stage road race at Ft. Davis were also part of the adventure! I slid out on a wet road training ride the day before we left for the race, and I had several nice oozing wounds to keep me company on our 8 hr drive out to BFE Texas.
We were the picture of pack lightly on our first attempt to leave the Ft. Worth area. Christina’s roof on her Suburu: 1 extra long luggage container, 3 road bikes, extra wheel. The rear contained: 2 Time Trial bikes wrapped in cellophane. The insides contents included: bedding, ice chests, bags, more bags, extra wheels for TT bikes and road bikes, trainers, rollers, and 3 girls wrapped in celophane. Well, not really, but it would have made for more leg room.
We didn’t make it but about 15 miles out on I-20 before Tammy’s carbon fiber Cervelo flew off the top of the roof rack and bounced nearly missing a semi truck. Stop #1 Retrieve bike out of fast lane. Stop #2 Bike Shop to access damage. Stop #3 Get coffee cuz we lost the 3rd spare driver. Stop #4 Walk along I-20 at the scene of the flying bike dismount to look for my retainers. They were sitting on my lap when we stopped and i jumped up to get the bike and they fell out along the shoulder. Yep, I found em!!
Stop #5 Ft. Davis at 3:30 a.m.!! No worries, we’ll just take a nap.
This is the 1 bedroom mansion we squeezed 6 girls and 3 air mattresses into for the weekend.
The Hill Climb and Road Race both took us up to the McDonald Observatory. That was some serious fast descending and looooong climbing. The very top was at 17% grade. For you Texans, that’s not 18 Wheeler driveable. Teammate Tammy was cramping and jumped off her bike to run up to the top, meanwhile ditching her shoes to side so she could run better in her socks. Great crowd motivation for all of us cresting the top at 4 mph.
It was quite the view, and I’m sure I’ve seen an old western film scene a time or two from this area. “No Country for Old Men” visions kept me pedaling fast for home. Maybe next year I’ll bring my lungs and my legs to Ft. Davis.
Commenting is closed for this article.