This year was Darren's third LOTOJA or Logan to Jackson bike race. It is 206 miles over three major mountain passes, through three states. He has been strategizing, training, planning, and testing different foods on the bike since last year's race.
We have friends in Logan who have raced for years. They host a whole bunch of people who are all riding. The house is full of people packing and organizing for the race, pumping tires, comparing gear, sharing past race stories, and eating pasta. The owner of the home always gives his top 5 must follow "rules" of racing LOTOJA.
I won't bore you with all of them, but the first one is:
1) I work for no man. (Have you seen Oh brother, where art thou?) This makes sense when you know that drafting behind another biker saves you 30% energy. Everyone has to take their turn, but be smart about it.
Lee wasn't home this year, so the top 5 was given over the phone.
Darren's start time was 7:32 and it was a chilly 30 something degrees. Some people started as early as 6:00. Brrr. When I got in my car to drive to Montpelier, ID for my first support spot I put the seat heater high and cranked the heat!
Jerrod, Darren and David. 3 of the 5 Cycle Therapy Team sponsored by Purely Custom. Jerrod and Darren were planning on sticking together and pounding out a good race so I supported both of them. This means getting to the support zone, watching for them among hundreds of others doing the same. As soon as I recognize them I scream their name so they see me, then switch out empty water bottles for full ones, hand food in ziploc bags, gu, ibuprofen, salt pills, and take vests, full fingered gloves and leg warmers no longer needed because the temp has raised 15 degrees and they are fully warmed up.
At Montpelier they had ridden a huge pass and had covered 80 miles. They both looked strong, and like kids at Christmas. They were having a great time and were riding fast. In past years Darren has come into a feed zone looking so sick that it pained me. None of that here. At this point any doubts I had about his 10 hr. goal disappeared. They were 15 min. ahead of schedule. We did the support dance in 2 min!
I headed for Afton, WY via a longer route than the cyclists. There is a major traffic back up where the cars join the riders. I moved 3 miles in 46 min. I missed them in Afton by 15 min. They grabbed neutral support, searched for a phone to let me know they had gone on then left for Alpine, WY. I am convinced if you are going to ride that fast, you can't have support at Afton. Not possible!
At Alpine, I parked the mile away, hoofed it with my backpack full of repair and changes of clothes (just in case) and a bag full of more food and liquid. I brought the stuff they would have taken in Afton, and the designated stuff for Alpine. I didn't know what they might want. After riding 160 miles I think you deserve just about anything you feel like. I had seriously stood on the front line of the feed zone for 30 sec. when they rode by! Holy cow! They were cruising. Darren still looked like a kid in a candy shop. So strong. Jerrod looked good too, but asked how much further...... this is truly an amazing feat of what the human body can do. So inspirational.
At this point I had used the bathroom only once, there is really no good place to stop and NO TIME! I stopped at the Chevron at Alpine Junction, only to find a line of 12 women. No time for that! Torture people, torture.
I headed to the finish line in Teton Village. I watched the time in eagerness wanting them to meet or beat their goal. Was it possible? Could he actually do it in UNDER 10 hours? I kept checking my watch. Kept looking down the road. Every group of cyclists looks like the ones I'm looking for. I hear as they call Darren's name for crossing the finish line. I look at him as he let's one arm off the bar and sits up a little with a huge sigh/grunt. Everything he had went into that finish. It had been a photo finish with a sprint from 3K. He and Jerrod had worked so well together for 206 miles, often training together, for months. But it is a race, afterall. Darren has known for weeks that Jerrod would sprint to the finish. Had known he would attack at the last minute. Not known if he would have "it" at the end like Jerrod so often does.....after splitting two riders down the middle, sending Jerrod to brush against someone in the crowd, Darren crossed 1 second, 1 second! ahead. They placed 3rd and 4th.
I looked at my watch and said aloud to no one, "NO WAY, sweet!" 9 hr. 50 minutes! I ran down the line to catch them exiting the finish chute. I had tears in my eyes I was so stinking happy for him! I had a hug for both of them. Proud does not describe how I felt.
To put this in perspective, a pro rider, 25 ish, set a course record this year with a time of 9:01.
Sorry about the bad pic, but this is them minutes after finishing. Kind of fitting that there is a porta potty in the background. Probably only fitting if you were me, and had been through what I had that day!
My favorite person.
The guys after all had finished.
Award Ceremony at Jackson High School.
This is Sunday morning outside the hotel. Fun people!
We bummed around Jackson, enjoyed a salad and Diet Coke (yea! Darren is drinking again, he quit to get in top shape for the race. Whatever.) on the lawn at Maverick and headed over the pass. Some friends, upon hearing we were going to hike Table Rock, invited us to stay in their condo in Driggs. 
The hike was beautiful. We hit snow about 1/2 way up. It didn't take Darren long to be glad we were doing this. Especially after we started to see the Grand Teton begin to peak out over the ridge of Table Mountian.
Table Rock in the background.
Targhee ski resort in the distance.
This is a picture of me talking to my mom. I called to check on things with the kids. Darren did a lot of business over the phone while we were up there. Talk about an office with a view!
This is the sign at the bottom of the trail we took down.
