many hats... husband, father, recreational bike racer, and dog owner

this weekend past was the 24 Hours of Big Bear in Hazelton West Virginia
I went into the race with some grand ambitions
ambitions to wear many hats
an effort to split my focus between a 24 hour race weekend with family camping the weekend was a balancing act
if I was not on the bike chasing the rider in front of me
I was in the campground chasing my kids
then there was the calling my dog
or pointing the camera

I did not take that many photos

I had also spoken with some media folks in the Granny Gear camp about contributing to their
Granny Gear Real Time Press Releases
something had to give

I could not do it all
my intentions were good... but I lacked the energy to make it happen
there was not a spare minute
all spare minutes were used to re-fuel, rest, or prep the bike for the next lap


my wife lisa was a trooper

as per usual lisa handled the lion's share of
the family responsibilities
to be fair I tried to assist as
much as I could
so when I got back from my laps I washed my bike and my body and hung with the fellas
which usually involved mobile activities when my body was crying out for sedentary activities

tried to make sure that dean and were fed and well hydrated, entertained and out of danger, not fighting and not fighting,
but when my lap start time approached I passed the kids and the dog back into lisa's full control

the boys had a blast

both the boys raced in the 24 Minutes of Big Bear
I was pleased that the kid's race finished just in time for me to take my first lap

the Suzuki sponsors had all sorts of entertainment that helped to occupy the boys
video games and an observation deck
and all sorts of stuff that I could not focus on because i was doing other things
there were also a few kids that dean and grant played with

we were camped along side of a grand cast of people from the DCMTB squad
their camp was our camp
our camp was their camp

we shared food
the weekend was not without its incidents
there were multiple bike crashes and once dean got lost
grant pooped in the woods and got some poop on his shorts... which he immediately wiped on his brother
both the boys grew tired of the port-a-potties
there was not any whining or
complaining not by me, not by lisa, and not by the boys
even with the heat everyone was a good sport
the bike riding stopped as the light disappeared
glow sticks, glow in the dark frisbees, and campfires were the evening entertainment
even though the Suzuki folks were playing a movie the boys hung at camp
Smores were made and the family was asleep when I got back from my first night lap

lisa slept in one tent with the dog and the boys while i had another tent for resting my legs between laps

my night/dawn lap occurred without any notice by
the family

when the kids woke it was more of the same

dean was on the bike before breakfast
grant was on the walkie talkie issuing orders
it was hot!
the drive back to DC is long
lisa packed up the car and headed off with the boys before I started my fourth and final lap
before the fiasco which was the fourth and final lap


my brother and I drove home from West Virginia stopping off at our dad's house for dinner
our wives and kids were there

I jumped in the pool and splashed with the kids
if I had cramped I would have surely drowned
luckily that did not happen

now it is not much more than a memory

but...
that is what life is about
building a collection of memories