© Catherine Leigh Cooper Photography

This last weekend was the first race of the OBRA racing season! My cycling team, Flahute Racing p/b Trailhead Coffee Roasters (or for short, “Trailhead”) awesomely got to be the season opener with our Grand Island Kermisse Series. It was a fantastic day for road racing and great for me to learn.

I got to do what I do best.

Volunteer wrangling!

I haven’t done any road racing in Oregon and my race bike is in a box and the components are in another box. There is also an issue with the fact that I am dissatisfied with the crankset that I have so on the limited budget that I am working with, I am attempting to get a new one. As well as a new rear derailleur.

Sigh.

Also, I have been sick with a cold for over the last week.

Trailhead Coffee Roasters

Long story short, I have been in no condition to ride this last weekend.

So clipboard in hand, I was the uber-helper and assisted the person in charge. That’s what I generally do at events. Co-volunteer coordinator.

I am so grateful for all the amazing volunteers that showed up. We had an amazing event. Everything ran smoothly from my end. There was some rain and mud. Earlier in the day the returning racers looked like they were coming back from ‘cross racing they were so covered in mud.

That’s what you get from farm roads!

Parking costs $5 each weekend, but we as a team are not keeping the money. We are donating it back to the farm owner, Dr. Heiser, who then is giving it to the Protect Grand Island fund. Someone is attempting to put a large gravel quarry in the farmland community where we are having the road race series, so by paying the $5 parking fee, you are helping in some sort of restorative projects to stop that from happening. I don’t know. Read the website I linked to. Farm lands good. Quarry bad.

The sun came out. Still some sprinkles. Still a great day for racing. Hoping to get my bike mashed together before the next race of the series on March 9th.

Then there was time trials the next day – making the first day of road racing truly epic. Get your bikes cleaned up.

It’s on, people.