Courage Classic 2010 Day 1

Saturday August 7, 2010

In the elevator at the condo, we left at 6:30 am.

In the parking garage at the condo.

All packed up and ready to go.

Waiting in line for registration at Snoqualamie Ridge.

Meeting up with Eric and Tony amongst the other 700 riders.

Chandru and Tony at registration.

Number 488 – assigned alphabetically by last name.

10:00 am – Chandru is at first stop for the day.  He is doing fine and riding faster than last year.

11:30 am – Chandru is at the Summit of Snoqualamie Pass.  Doug and Lisa drove up to meet him and made a lot of noise as he rode into view.  He feels better than last year and is averaging 15 mph.

After lunch at the summit – it always many kinds of pasta, Caesar salad and fruit – all the riders and their bikes have to be transported to a point just before the next stop – The Ice Cream & Hula Hoop Stop, because of rode construction.  They then ride to Cle Elum and beyond Suncadia, to make up for the miles they didn’t ride in the detour and end up back at Suncadia to camp.  Chandru got very cold waiting for the shuttle, he was shivering.  It wasn’t until later that the support crew remembered they had blankets and brought them for those that arrived after the first trips were made.

UPDATE:

3:00 pm from email with subject “A little coffee before dinner” – I arrived at Suncadia 40 mins ago. I am on my extra bit now, I got lost and did 10 miles extra instead of 5! I am at Roslyn now. But I went to cle elum first by mistake.  61 miles so far.

Photos sent via email 4:40 pm “In my cozy tent” Dinner was Spanish rice, tofu, potatoes, salad and fruit.

5:00 pm “Fresh as a daisy”

While the riders were waiting in line for dinner it began to rain.  What was intended to be a picnic turned into everyone taking their plates and seeking shelter – mostly in their tents.  There was a covered play area that they used to store their bikes out of the rain.  It rained well into the night.