HALLOWEEN CHECKPOINT RACE 2005

the race got under way about 9pm. it was the headbangers ball race. at every checkpoint was a glowlight and a tag with a heavy metal band's name. if you could guess the mascot of the band, you got extra points.

the first checkpoint was up bike route 31 to dittmar. 8 miles to the first checkpoint. yeehaw. we were all together up bouldin, then splintered off into a few groups. then regrouped - then ungrouped. we got to the first checkpoint as nick and whit were leaving. there was a guy dressed as a leprechaun in front of them. guess he ate his lucky charms.

in fact, i think it was him that i was following into that apartment complex off bouldin and then a bunch of fireworks were set off and then he gave us the slip. where'd he go? course, everyone followed me and i didn't know where the hell i was going. YES. this way tonto.

so back down and over to oltorf to amy's where she twirled us around. then over on oltorf east past pleasant valley to sunridge to a very funny vampire's house. and he had candy. tim's southern comfort flask has come out a time or 2 or 3 by this point. then out and over to south first. all the way up and to 6th across MOPAC. over to enfield on the hike/bike trail there is a cool old abandoned windmill. brent and elizabeth manned this checkpoint. brent is lucky we didn't stuff his body in the windmill and board up the entrance. :-)

so on enfield to lamar north to the DOG PARK 'pueh' at 30th. they were very nice to stick around the stinky poo dog park. then back on lamar up up up 24th. shit that hill hurt. we picked up nick at the dog park. he had been lost several times by this point and had lost whit to a broken cleat or pedal. so we hoofed it up to le fun. there we played a round of HOUSE OF THE DEAD shoot em up zombie game. thank god it wasn't dance revolution like nic's brothers was that one time. ha.

at checkpoint 7 le fun = we had 28miles. I mapped it out on that google map thing later. so, in total the race was right around 31miles, as you still needed to get to kris's house on south lamar over by planet janet i think. me and nic were close to home at this point. and it was 11:30, we were cold and a hot shower was sounding good. so...we said cheers, killed some zombies and called it a nite.

what a fun race. it was long. did I say it was long? damn it was long. but it was a good varied route - hell we went boonies south, east and west austin. I told the nut afterward, you gotta know by now if you are doing a nut race.....you need to be well versed in pain management. pain is not so bad sometimes. that nite it was all good. I needed a long ride.

so I hope the guy with the big huge head mask made it out ok. it was like wearing a burka. could only see right in front of you and it was some kind of wind resistance. we saw ron and his friend out in east austin on oltorf. brian was with us for a while then I think went home to eat a hotdog or something. ;-) poor kris broke his collarbone that morning going to work. that sucks. hope your feeling better. and where was pookie, benedict, seth, ryan, daniel, rita, lee? ok lee is in MN so that would have been tough. missed u guys.

thanks to all the folks standing out in the cold waiting for us to come around. that was nice. thanks to the nut for putting it on. thanks to all that came out. see ya next time.

i only got 3 pics, cuz i got there late then it was all biking all the time till oo la la le fun.