aj``` wrote:
Did you have to show your ID at packet pickup? Do you even bother with the t-shirt and string bag? Does it even make it past the first trash can?
And do you guys have a separate "mandatory pre-race meeting"?
I'm actually not really kidding asking this. I'm fascinated by the dichotomy of the sport that you don't see elsewhere. With the exception of separate transitions for the pros I've seen at some races (never done Alcatraz, so I have no idea if they do that or not. I'm presuming they do)....the pros are to a large degree lumped in with a lot of goof-offs like me. Same course. Same rules. Same space. Often times we're on the road together at it's not unusual for you to have to lap us on a looped course. I'm guessing all but a handful of the race staff/volunteers (when you add up everyone involved...packet volunteers, street corner standers, aid station people, lifeguards, etc) know you by name, let alone sight. I once saw Hunter Kemper get hassled trying to retrieve his bike after a race in which he won and for some reason didn't have his wristband. Those of us standing there vouched for him. The poor volunteer caved. We shouldn't have put that volunteer in that position. It's sort of like having a whiffle ball tournament in between every inning of a MLB game.
I guess, are we a royal PITA? Or really, just a non-existent entity that really doesn't cause to much grief or trouble? I would assume it can vary from race to race. Alcatraz I assume attracts generally a little more experienced crowd.
If I were kidding I would have asked how much Dungeness crap you ate and what was the cringiest thing you saw or heard from an age grouper over the weekend. Or the Reddit AMA question of whether you'd want to fight 100 chickens, or one chicken the size of 100 chickens.
The packet pickup is different for each race (this races gear was pretty sick so I kept it). There is a pretty small number of pros for this race so the pro meeting was pretty relaxed and they handed us our packets there by calling out our names. We only get slightly different treatment because our rules can be a bit different. I enjoy having the age groupers at our races. I don't think any pros have too big of egos where they think they own the race because they are pro...for those that do feel that way all the other pros usually don't take them very seriously. I love the interaction with age groupers, and it is because they love the sport that there is even a possibility of us making it a career.
I had a crab roll post race...it was delicious. Would have to think about cringiest thing...
100 chickens is pretty terrifying, but a 100 sized chicken is a dinosaur...