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Mpls, MN, United States

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

UAR x2

Because I am a sucker for punishment, today, exactly one week before the Twin Cities Marathon, I rode in my second Urban Assault Ride. Last year, my partner and I had both been doing a respectable amount of biking (it helped that I'd actually been using my bike as my primary means of transportation, whereas recently I've become woefully spoiled by David's car!), but this year neither of us had really biked at all all summer.

Still, we had a great time (though I'm rather tender, and will doubtless be all sorts of sore tomorrow), and made it to all but one of our check-points (an improvement over last year!). Unfortunately, like last year, I did run into some mechanical troubles. It wasn't a spike through the tire, thankfully, but I did manage to bend my front fender when I stopped suddenly and caught it on my foot. That caused it to rub on the tire, which meant it felt like I was gently braking for most of our ride out(/uphill) to REI. Thankfully, on the way back I found a gas station garage that let me borrow their pliers so that I could remove and toss the offending fender, and had a much more pleasant ride thereafter.

This year, whether because the course was arranged better, because we'd actually completed the quiz and ended up in the first wave, or because the check-points were better equipped to handle large numbers of people, we spent hardly any time waiting in line for the activities (which included a toss/catch game involving wet sponges and a laundry basket that rested on one partner's shoulders [with a hole for the head!] and the "plunger paddle" where both partners sat on a longboard and paddled to stations using a toilet plunger).

Afterward, David and I went to a gamelan concert in St. Paul and then to Pancho Villa with my UAR teammate for burritos.

Oh, also! For the race, we made shirts. I couldn't find a "Ciao Ciao" graphic online, so I recreated one using the classic Coke logo. I thought they turned out really well. We're working our way up slowly; next year we'll make all the checkpoints and wear all-out costumes!

David's pictures (plus some of my partner's) are here:

9 comments:

Leah said...

Ooh, that looks so fun! I wish they did things like that here, but I guess it would be unbearably hot.

And a gamelan concert...wow, that sounds neat too. It's been way too long since I listened to gamelan.

Misty said...

I love the shirts!

Ern said...

That DOES look like fun!

Ern said...

Also, that first picture is AWESOME!

Ashley Barber said...

So you must whipped up some cute shirts? I get the iron-on part but you designed the... design, too? You lost me there. Bravo!

CëRïSë said...

Thanks, guys!

And Ashley, yes, I created the logo too, starting with the classic Coke logo and modifying a few of the letters. I can't take credit for the "Ciao Ciao" idea, but I did create the image. There's also our team name--Le Pazzette--and a bike!

Ellen said...

Did I give you that Ciao Ciao shirt I had? It fit me horribly and I can't imagine that it would fit you any better, but it was a great idea.

Hope your blisters are better.


hunction

Unknown said...

Last year, I was there for the biking adventure. Wish V and Ted and I could all come for a visit, but we would probably take over your whole place.

CëRïSë said...

Ellen, no, you didn't; I'd forgotten you had one! Send it over if it turns up.

And Heather, you guys can take over my whole place ANY time--I hope you do!