Race Report Dead City Alleycat 2024 - Day of the Dead Edition (attempt number 2 to get some words down)
it is Thursday morning...
sipping my coffee and thinking that it has been nearly a week since the Dead City Alleycat
if I want to write a race report
I best get to it
not only do I need to wrap up the report
I need to put away the Alleycat and all of its parts
Check Point Puzzle Pieces
SWAG and Prizes that were not used in the event
got to put the day behind me and move forward
the day was amazing
need to focus on moving forward
not sure what direction to go with this "Race Report"
as I did not race
I did not race the 2024 Dead City Alleycat... I hosted the 2024 Dead City Alleycat
yesterday downtown on the bike doing deliveries about town
I saw people who had raced and I passed places that were checkpoints
this week we had elections
no time to go into all of that
thought it was gonna be closer
thought Harris had a chance
I was looking forward to a Harris - Walz Presidency
not looking forward to another 4 years of Trump
let me start slapping the keys on the keyboard
maybe something worth reading will appear on the computer screen
maybe not
just to make things clear
The Dead City Allecyat 2024 was the Day of the Dead Edition
not Halloween themed
Dia de los Muertos themed
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
Mexico and Dia de los Muertos
I encouraged costumes
did not want Halloween costumes
just like if I were hosting a toga party
dress appropriately... do not show up dressed like Batman
that would just be weird
that said...
I spoke to Bruce in the days leading up to the event and signed off on his Spider costume
RACE REPORT: Dead City Alleycat 2024 Day of the Dead Edition
let me just run through a stream of consciousness typing session and see what I get
it was Saturday morning... I had done all that I needed to do to host the Dead City Alleycat
months of planning had gone into getting ready
sponsors had sent prizes
manifests and spoke cards were printed
I had enlisted an variety of checkpoint volunteers
made a few drops for the race
leaving low rider bikes at Montrose Park
passing off Water Bottles and Boxes for Holy Rood Cemetery
the more I did in advance... the less I had to do that day
the end point for this race would be Don Juan's
I figured I could load the prizes in my car and park in Mount Pleasant and ride my bicycle to the start
having my car at the finish... where I could then drive home with any remaining items
my friend Beth accepted the invite to volunteer and run a checkpoint
then also
Beth agreed to help out by painting a few faces with Sugar Skull designs
Beth is a bicycle mechanic not a makeup artist
yet she was willing to take on the task
so... Beth showed up at my house in the AM
painted her face... painted my face...
then I drove Beth and her bike to the start at Thomas Circle so she could paint a few volunteers faces as I drove up to Don Juan's in Mount Pleasant to drop off my car
Beth was dropped off a Thomas Circle with bags of check point pick ups for various check points at 2PM
after parking in Mount Pleasant I pulled my bike off the car and rode towards the start at Thomas Circle
having some extra time before the racers showed up I did a quick loop
checking on a few checkpoints
offering up some hints on my Instagram
my loop was short
I feared that the skull on the mural in Mount Pleasant would be tough to find in the dark
so I offered up a hint
I figured I could snap a shot of the Mas Paz mural in Mount Pleasant as another hint
then as I migrated down towards Thomas Circle I ran some of the manifest in reverse
at the Cultural Institute of Mexico there was a line of people outside
but...
Where were the Catrina Figures?
Victor of the Cultural Institute of Mexico had assured me that he would put them outside for our event
I had said I would email him to remind him
he said not to worry
I did email him to remind him anyway
there were no Catrina Figures on display at the Mexican Cultural Institute
I knocked on the door asking for Victor
a security guard went to fetch him
time passed
I asked a woman exiting the building to pass a message on to Victor
not sure if he got a message
I had to move forward... crossed my fingers that Victor would be able to put out the figures before my race start
back on the bike and then a glance at a few more locations
the Barbie Display on Q Street had been modified
the Day of the Dead theme had morphed into an Election Themed display
then on Q Street further down
the Bright Pink 20 Foot Skeleton had been removed from the yard
oooppps... this would be mentioned at the start
there was not much more meandering as the clock was ticking and it was approaching time for me to be at Thomas Circle
so... I took my attention towards getting to the start location of the race
upon my arrival I was stoked to see such a large gathering
volunteers were there in force
lots of volunteers
all of my volunteers who had committed to running a checkpoint in advance were onsite
HELL YES!
but
where were the racers?
I am accustom to this approach
it is why I do not sit in the park hours before the start
as it would give me anxiety wondering where the racers were
as I started to prep volunteers with instructions racers started to roll in
as it got closer to the race start
I felt pretty good about who had shown up to race
as well as how many people showed up to race
there were over 20 racers and then a handful of "just for fun participants"
as things got closer to the start
the Just for Fun Participants migrated into the race category
trying to be on time
but not really paying much attention to the clock I went through the process of prepping the volunteers
then got ready for a pre-race meeting
then Bruce passed on a message
Gabe and Clara were on their way
I agreed to pause the start until their arrival
Andy Zalan accused em of "changing" as I have a history of being strict on certain things
just as I was getting impatient and ready to start without Clara and Gabe
Gabe and Clara rolled into Thomas Circle
in my extraverted sort of way
I started to talk
trying to cover all the details
trying to talk while also responding to the comments from racers
as I tried to brief the racers on details of the day
there were questions
"where are the manifests?"
"do we get the manifests here?"
"where are the manifests?"
after hearing that the manifests were at Congressional Cemetery
there was a momentum to move
I was not done talking
but
in an effort to prevent a false start as people looked like they were already grabbing bikes and trying to exit the park
I released the racers without finishing everything I needed to say
I forgot to mention two crucial things!!!
DO NOT RIDE YOUR BICYCLE IN THE CEMETERY
and
MANIFESTS WILL BE IN THE CHAPEL
opps...
everyone had the same manifest
that absence of information was shared with all racers
I got a text from Brian Clark about the Cemetery Manifest Pick Up
I told him at the Chapel
my guess... everyone did what everyone else was doing
I am sure it was chaos... but it all worked out
it weighed heavy on me that I glitched so early in the race
I MESSED UP THE START!
CLASSIC!
I contacted Sage and Michael G
Sage and Michael G were checkpoint volunteers
it was their task to deliver the manifests to a woman at the chapel at Congressional Cemetery
then
they would be handing out beer coozies at Rush Rink
I asked that one of them go to Congressional Cemetery to help and point people to the chapel
they had also handed off the cozies to the person at Congressional Cemetery along with the manifests
no worries
Sage had been signing the manifests
so... they were consistent
just need proof that they were there
the manifest was "in order"
racers could do the manifest in any order
I informed the racers they could do it in any order
but to those that figured it out... they could race it in the order I felt was most fast and fluid... in the order that I printed the manifest
Racers were instructed to READ THE MANIFEST
the last Checkpoint acted to confuse the racers
it was a Selfie in the Chapel at Congressional Cemetery
and
RUSH RINK had a 5:15 End Time
guiding racers to do things in a logical way
in addition to the list of 21 Checkpoints pretty much in order
there were an additional 4 checkpoints where the racers could pick a location
Mas Paz Art, Chipotle, District Taco, and Popeyes
each of these checkpoints had multiple options
it was up to the racers to select an option that worked with the way that they routed the rest of the manifest
my Gwadzilla Dead City Alleycat standards this would be a short race
rather than 27-30 miles
this would be a 20-24 mile race
I had pre-ridden the course and felt it could be done in less than 2.5 hours
factoring checkpoints etc.
the Thomas Circle Start offered up a race within the race
the first person to get the manifest would get a prize
I felt that the 4 mile Race to the Manifest would be a fun way to start the event
figured Veek would have fun filming it with his Insta 360
but alas no... Veek had other plans on this day
so I pulled Sebastian from his Holy Rood assignment to do some filming
Thomas Circle to Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery to Rush Rink
then if the racers chose to do the manifest in order
The National Portrait Gallery would be the next stop
I spent some time in Thomas Circle on the phone
texting volunteers
and
texting racers
trying to sort out the Chapel Manifest Pick Up
making sure checkpoint volunteers were in place and ready for racers
then after I felt things were moving along
I decided to check out some of the race
along with Deaf Ben I rode to DWRC\The Portrait Gallery
sure enough... racers were already there
Brian Clark was headed down the stairs as Sleazy G as headed in
Andy Zalan and David P. reviewed the manifest
Andy realized they had missed Rush Rink
oh no... to have a complete manifest
to be competitive
Andy would have to go back to Rush Rink
that is some serious back tracking... that is some extra miles...
Dave P and Sleazy G had also missed this checkpoint
they left off together
Sleazy G's chain would break... taking him out of contention... but he stayed in the game... visiting checkpoints and taking photos
when at the Portrait Gallery it was early...
it was not dark yet
Art by Mas Paz was one of the Pick A Spot options
Mas Paz would be projecting his art on the Portrait Gallery from the MLK Library
but not yet... it was not dark enough for this
racers would have to go to another location
there is a Mas Paz Mural in Mount Pleasant
on the side wall of Mount Pleasant Cleaners
across the street from the finish at Don Juan's
easy option
Just as Racers needed to take a selfie with someone with a Sugar Skull\Catrina Face at the Portrait Gallery Day of the Dead event
the next checkpoint was on the Washington Monument Grounds
there was another Day of the Dead gathering
another selfie with a Sugar Skull\Catrina Face
the manifest ended with some explanations and definitions of these things
READ THE MANIFEST
some people took photos of the wrong things
sure... that proved that they were there
but they did not complete the task... no points
from the National Mall back to downtown
there would be two Mexican Embassy Stops
people had to take a photo of the Seal of Mexico
an Eagle on a cactus with a snake in its beak
there is a white shield at each of these locations
not so easy to find
but the seal also exists on the Mexican flag
selfie with the Mexican Flag would be an argued option at the finish
I caved to this argument
as it is in fact an eagle on a cactus with a snake in its beak
at this point there had been several options for racers to knock out some of the "PICK A SPOT" checkpoints
at 2000 Penn Across the Street is a Chipotle
and then
on M Street Headed to 23rd is a District Taco
I think I might have hit the District Taco on Pennsylvania Ave in SE
ANY District Taco or Any Chipotle would work
from downtown into Georgetown
there was a checkpoint on Prospect Street
then there was also a trick
The Exorcist Stairs
it was once said by Andy Zalan... "I will never do an Alleycat that has the Exorcist Stairs as a checkpoint again!"
I have used the Exorcists Stairs in every Dead City that I have hosted
it is iconic... it seems appropriate
but on this day
the manifest read something to the effect
THE EXORCIST STAIRS ARE NOT A CHECK POINT
YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE A SELFIE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EXORCIST STAIRS
some racers took selfies at the bottom of the Exorcists Stairs
when they did not have to
this put them at the base of the stairs
when the next checkpoint would be at the top of the stairs
this was a fun one...
Maria and Alberto De La Cruz Gallery on Prospect Street
TAKE A SELFIE WITH THE TRANSFORMER ON THE ROOF
now... that is an interesting one
on Prospect Street on the street level are two life size Transformers
Transformers like Bumble Bee and the Movie Transformers
then there is a third Transformer on the roof of this same building
I felt this was fun
most people got it
a number of people did not get it
that is the game
as said... the manifest could be done in any order
the logic that I had was for racers to go up hill from the Transformers Selfie to Holy Rood Cemetery
time laps with boxes at Holy Rood Cemetery
a repeat from a Dead City in years past... but I felt it was a fun option
fastest lap with boxes would win a prize
a friend Greg Webb teamed up with Jerry Baker to run this checkpoint
Sebastian would show up later after filming
Brian Clark tied with Alex O for Fastest Lap at Holy Rood
I gave the prize to Alex O as Brian was the overall winner and the winner of the first to get the manifest
seemed fair to share the wealth
I watched a few racers at Holy Rood then chased Brian Clark to the next checkpoint...
from Holy Rood Cemetery it was on to Montrose Park
Low Rider Laps
I had two small children bikes
Department Store Low Riders
5 Laps around a Small Fountain
5 laps could be done in a minute
it was a giggle
Beth and Raven ran this checkpoint
it was well received
perhaps the most fun checkpoint of the day
again... there was a prize for the fastest racer at the Low Rider Checkpoint
Zach Chariot Brown edged out Andy Zalan for the Win at Montrose Park!
after watching a few laps at Montrose Park
I dashed off to Zion Cemetery for Lawn Darts
I thought that Lawn Darts with their dangerous history would make for an amusing checkpoint
three darts tossed into a bicycle rim
has to stick into the ground to get points
amazingly enough
Fast and Friendly Dave P got all three Lawn Darts to land in the LED LIT Spokeless Bicycle Rim
GOOD JOB DAVEP!
at this cemetery one of the volunteers gave me a quick history lesson
I had know a few things about the two cemeteries in this hidden spot
but I had not know the history of this spot and its shed as a hiding spot for slaves during the era of the Underground Railroad
thanks One Wheel Daniel B for that information
it was a quick pass through checkpoint
I have a bit of a history of not being at the finish for the racers
me spending time on the course
when I could be at the finish accepting finishing racers and starting the grading process
I did not want this to be a complaint on this day
similarly I was at one of the last checkpoints in the Confer Cat
Brian Clark came through fast
I had to race Bigs to the finish at the Pug to prevent any awkwardness
luckily he had a checkpoint or two that day that allowed me to get their first
and on this day
I was a little anxious and could have spent a few more minutes on the course
I chased Bigs across town
peeling off to get to Bandit Taco where Steven C was handing out bottles of Pedro's Lube
no racers had come through yet... which was logical
and somehow... the checkpoint volunteer that was supposed to be at Bandit Taco with Steven had gotten lost
in the chit chat with Stephen C... Bigs rolled up...
I cut the conversation short
got Ben Barne's Attention and we chased Bigs up 16th Street towards the Mexican Cultural Center
Still no Catrina Figures in the Lawn...
from this checkpoint I would head to the finish and Bigs would have several more checkpoints
which would give me time to figure out the finishing spot
a Don Juan's I caught up with Kelvin of Don Juan's
Kelvin pointed me to the picnic tables on the patio
I set up camp at a table that was near an overhead light
the day was getting late and light was beginning to fade
I would need that light to grade manifests
by the time my food was ordered and I had a beer in hand
it was time to start grading manifests
Brian Clark
Bigs Finished Fast
Bigs Finished Strong
25 out of 25
and
the first manifest
Greg and Dave P came in shortly after
but with an incomplete manifest
not asking to be scored
scoring... scoring... scoring...
it was not that it was a complicated manifest
but... it was difficult
as there was some confusion and everyone had a debate about their interpretation of the manifest
I tried to be strict and fair
while also being fun
going to the location is not enough
there needs to be the completion of the task
the selfie could prove that the racer was at the correct location
but
there still needs to be a correct answer to the question
or
there needs to be a photo of what was requested
as Alleycat racers finished... they all got to mix and mingle and have a party
while I worked hard
it is thankless this task of Alleycat Host
I enjoyed what I could enjoy
as I graded manifests I asked some questions about their experience
and then also
I got to overhear some of the racers talking about their race day
it was fun
I had two manifests
the Just for Fun Manifest was not a different manifest
the Just for Fun Manifest was a case where racers did not have to go to Congressional Cemetery or Rush Rink
they would start their race at Thomas Circle and have 8 miles less to ride
as said... the Just for Fun Participants ALL opted to RACE the FULL RACE
but... there were still two manifests
with all the TEAMING UP and RIPPING OFF OF OTHER RACERS I try to trick people from doing such... or even penalize them for their efforts
I put in a few minor differences
on Q Street there were houses down the block from each other
1730 and 1744 Q Street
each with Skeletons in their front yard
then at All Souls Bar one manifest had instructions to take a photo of window and the other asked for the bike rack
then lastly
the Mexican Restaurants on 14th Street
one had a Sugar Skull and another had a Catrina Mural
next door... murals inside
BUT!
some racers picked up an actual SUGAR SKULL from Congressional Cemetery
so... they took a selfie in the bar with the Sugar Skull
I accepted this as it was not what I intended
it was what I asked for....
a Selfie with a Sugar Skull!
the grading of a three page manifest with 24 or so racers can take some time
the sun had set and the temperature had dropped
and
the natives were getting restless
I scored the last and final manifest and then gathered my prizes
move my car from Lamont Street to Lamont Park
set up prizes on the ground and set up the piñata
first I awarded the winners of the Checkpoint Challenges
as said...
Bigs tied at Holy Rood
Alex O got a sweet Bicycle Film Festival Cap and some other swag
Zach Chariot Brown got something similar for the Low Rider Race
and
Dave P got the Zion Cemetery Knog Lights Prize for his Three Lawn Darts in the Rim
then for the race results I split up the men and the woman
there were maybe 5-7 people in the WTF Category.... top three scoring well
moving them to their own category bumped up some of the men
the prize table allowed for some choices
1-2-3
Bigs - Gabe- AZ
1-2-3
Clara - Heather - Keisha
the Mike King Tattoo Prize was up for debate
Brian Clark and Clara discussed who would get the tattoo
Bigs has many tattoos
Clara has none
Clara thinks she may want a tattoo... but backed down
Bigs took the tattoo prize!
which allowed the other racers some choices
Gabe and Clara each selected Ortlieb Messenger Bags as their prizes
then the following racers got to pick from various bags with a mixture of cool prizes from Knog lights, Speedy's Hot Sauce, SRAM, and other sponsors from this event and other sponsors from previous Gwadzilla Alleycats
all racers who completed the race got a bunch of SWAG
there were bike lights from WABA at one checkpoint
there was bike lube from Pedro's at another spot
Bike Arlington handlebar mirrors were also handed out
so... there was lots of SWAG already in racer's hands
in addition to the prizes that top finishers got to pick from
each racer also got a tote bag filled with SWAG from the previously listed sponsors
some more lucky than others
in an effort to get more prizes to more people
I had a piñata stuffed with Mexican candy and Bicycle SWAG
after the racers were awarded prizes we did the piñata
the unbreakable piñata
people got to take a swing at a purple and pink llama piñata
when it finally broke
there were cycling socks, hot sauce, Shimano bottle openers, Mexican candy and I can not recall what else
I felt the piñata was a nice touch
the day was well attended
the day was well recieved
as Dario says
"Alleycats have their glitches"
I hate having Alleycat Glitches
I forgot to mention the Chapel at Congressional Cemetery
but that worked out
and
I also forgot to share the bottle of Agave from Mount Pleasant Whiskey Company
oh well... I got to crack it open and sip some Agave as I watched the election results
Mount Pleasant Whiskey (Troy Hughes and Co.) were generous enough to sponsor the event with a bottle of La Manplesa Agave (tequila)
unfortunately... Troy did not come to the finish
the bottle was in the prize box
I was so busy grading manifest etc. that I forgot to pull out the bottle to share
it is a task... spinning lots of plates grading manifests and hanging piñatas
the Agave slipped through the cracks... fell off the prize table into my hands
the event took lots of attention and took lots of planning
I enjoy the process and I feel I accomplished my goals
amusingly enough
just as I create the multiple manifests to eliminate cheating
the Selfies are created to eliminate cheating
it seems like it would be the "proof" that people went to those locations
but now...
the pirate behavior of messengers has become more high tech
just as questions can be answered without going to a location as a way to cheat the system
now it seems that the techie kids are CREATING FAKE SELFIES
now... I am not certain
but there was at least one suspect image
not sure what to say about the FAKE SELFIES
I guess it falls into the messenger history of using pirate tactics to ride fewer miles
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