Denver to Hillsboro, Il and Back Again..

Big congrats out to this guy for his performance this weekend. 28 hour of driving for 3:45 minutes of racing. But well worth it. 5th place in the Hillsboro Roubaix and first qualifying amateur earned him a place on the Nature Valley Grand Prix composite team.




Felt a bit odd to be at a race and not have the kit on and the bike between my legs. Especially as I watched the two women's races go by during my stint in the feed zone, the racing bug was biting me pretty hard. But main goal for the weekend was the get CW an invite to Nature Valley. And mission accomplished. Two thumbs up to promotor Todd Harris for putting on one of the better-run races I've been to, complete with neutral wheel cars for all the categories (including the little guys and the beginner women), well-marked signs, real bathrooms (stocked with toilet paper) and shower for a post-race cleanse.

After the race and the awards ceremony (which included a lot of me screaming and yelling and jumping up and down with excitement), me, CW, and Tucker O hit the road for the 14-hour drive home (complete with a stop at the Motel 6 in who-knows-where Missouri for some shut-eye).

Highlights of the 14-hour drive home included:

"Land submarines...the concept never really took off."



Starbuck's oatmeal with dried fruit, nuts, and brown sugar. Pretty damn good for breakfast on the road.



Pizza in Booneville, Missouri. Good call Tuck-Tuck. Not only did Tucker win the Best-Improved-Stick-Shift-Driver, Chris made him an honorary Australian for picking up on the rhyming slang so quickly. And he impressed us all with his ability to eat a 14-inch meat lover's pizza on his Pat Malone. All that food seems to have made someone a bit sleepy.




Wish I could say the 1st road trip of the year officially kicked off summer, but with snow greeting us as we pulled into the driveway, summer may still be a few weeks (or even months) away. Sure would like the snow to stop, though...