Two weeks ago, I figured out that I couldn't not help assemble the UCI World Championship Cyclocross courses. Since then, I've spent thirty or forty or fifty hours (I didn't fill out a time card) helping with course construction, and another twenty or thirty in race-days helping out here and there. The Tuesday of Masters' Worlds, I found myself assigned to pressure-washing detail, and was there for the remainder of the event.
A few hours into my first day doing that, a SRAM Neutral Tech Support guy offered a lesson in how to make bikes cleaner during a race. I took his advice to heart, and concentrated on getting the bike rideable before making it look pretty, especially when there was a race on. My proof that I learned something came in the form of what was probably my favorite moment of Friday: I encountered two people who appeared to be a couple walking in the vendor area, and the man nudged the woman, pointed at me, and said, "That's the guy who washed your bikes six times during your race yesterday."
Jenn and I volunteered for the Elite races, as well. Due to the rising river level, the four races were held on one day instead of being spread over two days. Our assignment had us controlling access to a photographers' pit at the end of the start-finish straightaway, and while people were nice and brought us food, we felt "locked down" because no relief came until the last race, and by then most of the reasons for going to the expo area at the other end of the facility had gone (I mean, of course, the time-honored tradition of gathering free stuff from vendors advertising their products).
I came to realize, however, that my assigned position had some really great perks. The view of the start/finish line, for one:
Jenn's post wasn't much worse. I was with her at the start of the Elite Men's race, and got this shot of the racers going around the first turn:
Now for some rest and relaxation! Since the Stupor Bowl is later today, I'll take the opportunity to go get some groceries.
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