I was really freaking out. I had been told by other people who had tried holding time-trial races that people could get really grumpy if you didn't seem like you knew what you were doing. I'd gotten some advice on the best way to take times. Generally, I'm a pretty organized person, but I'd also procrastinated a bit with getting things together. The knot in my stomach was pretty tight as Andy and I drove up to the start.
I jumped out of the truck and began setting-up the table, so people could register. There were already about ten people there. Everyone came over to the table and I entered their names into the Excel Worksheet I'd created. Once everyone was registered, I put the Excel file on a thumb drive, and Andy loaded it onto his laptop. Then, we jumped in the truck and drove up the hill. About 150 meters after the crest of the hill, I stopped the truck. Andy hopped out with his laptop and a chair. While he got set-up, I took a chalky rock and drew a line on the road, and I wrote "Finish" above it. Andy and I then synchronized our stopwatches. I jumped back in the truck, and I drove back down.
Being next to the Water Treatment Plant, a guard came out to the gate and asked what we were doing. I explained that it was just the starting point for a race and that we'd be gone in just a few minutes. He accepted my explanation with no questions asked, gave us a friendly wave, and disappeared back into the plant. Astonishing.
Still a little ball of anxiety, I drew a start line with another rock and gave everyone a one minute warning. One of the race participants, a friend of mine also named Adam, seeing that I was stretched too thin, stepped in and took the stopwatch. I told him to start each person every 60 seconds and call out their start time to me.
Then, boom.
Everything began. All my work beforehand led to it running as smooth as can be. I couldn't have derailed it if I tried. I got excited and relaxed simultaneously. What had been a pain for the last few days became fun. Before I knew it everyone had made their way up Bonnell, and I was packing everything up to go meet them.
When I got there, Andy read me everyone's finishing times. Then, I did a little math.
Race times...
Luke Kalloch (road): 2:23
Frye (road): 2:43
Dan Hannafin (road): 2:58
Nathan Wise (fixed): 3:01
Kirkland Wheeler (fixed): 3:02
Dani Way (women's road): 3:04
Eli Gonzales (fixed): 3:15
Brooks Goldsmith (road): 3:17
Jeremy Jagodzinski (inappropriate bike): 3:26
Frye ( 2nd inappropriate bike run): 3:50
Scott Steves (inappropriate bike): 3:51
Kurt Coffman (road): 4:09
Tom Watterson (inappropriate bike): 4:09
Adam Pruitt (inappropriate bike): 4:39
Andy Jones (inappropriate bike): 4:55
Dani and I managed a quick dip at Barton Springs in between the race and the after party at Cheer-up Charlie's. It was a perfect day for it, and it did a lot to finish relaxing me. Afterward, hanging out at Cheer-up's, about eleven more people registered for the raffle, and after a couple of hours and too many drinks, I pulled Tom Watterson's name out of the jar. He's now the proud new owner of a Fairdale frame set!
Almost there!
