Running Laps on Empty

So it's 1:53pm and we've completed 3 total laps, with Birdsong about half-way through his lap now. We arrived last night, setup camp, tapped the keg, and relaxed. Oh, and we pre-rode the course.

About the course: fast, picturesque, windy, frustrating, tame, fun. The headwind is tough...right in your face throughout all the climbs. But the single track is really sweet - swooping, fast, tight corners, everything you'd ask for in a trail. But then the course takes a turn for the worse, and the last 5 miles or so consists of a miserable fire road climb out.

My lap wasn't breaking any records, sadly. I think I pulled about 1:10 or so, while Cohen pulled 1:05 or so and Gardener pulled about 1:10 including the lemans start.

It is hot here - really really hot. And there are Skip Barber race cars riding the race track.

Some photos, for the visually unimpaired:

Here's me starting my lap - there's this bridge over the race car course you need to run across:



And here I am coming back down the stairs, finishing my lap:



And here I am about to deliver the baton to Cohen:



With hours to go before his first lap, Bob is understandably relaxed, hanging with his wife and talking smack about my lap time.



Cohen riding like its 1942:



No idea who this guy was:



John's a better man than all of us for volunteering to run the Lemans start: