I forgot to include all the folks that were at the TWW campsite at
one point or another:

Eryn "Toe in" Hughes
Piper "No results" Ehlen
Scott "Can't get my bikes dirty" Seery
Esther "no top 50%, no racey race" Kim
Michel "Expert SS" Cantelobre
Franck "Sprained ankle" Mangin and his son who provided us insight on
how to take out fellow racers
Scott "drove back to work on Friday after driving all the way down to
the SOC?!" Schlachter
Matt "still Rookie boy" Leonard
Matt "fecalpheliac – don't ask" Cerkel
Mike "Have some salad with your dressing" Gin
Loren "Just two servings?" Thomas
Allan "feet in trunk" Sherlock
Jeff "see, I told you we're not a race team" Hane
Shannon "was it a 3 hour tour?" last name withheld to protect the
innocent (or could be I don't know it)

Also, let me clarify things regarding volunteer duty. We had some no
shows (shame on you) so people had to step up – we didn't have any
flexibility with breaks because we needed the coverage. So it would
have been a much more positive experience if we could have taken
additional breaks. A good alternative would be to do like Isaias did
and do a half shift. I think that would make it a lot more enjoyable
and more people would volunteer. Then you'd still have time to go to
the expo to schmooze and do the hula hoop and see all the cool
stuff. So don't write volunteer duty off for TWW next year based on
my previous report while my mind was in a SOC-overload-SS-
overexertion-induced coma… the volunteers play a big role in making
this a success and TWW stepped up and helped big time!!!

Thanks!

Mike


--- In teamwrongway@yahoogroups.com, mike gin <ginmtb@...> wrote:
>
> I'm typing this with really sore legs and droopy, hazed over eyes,
but
> wanted to capture this snapshot in time now, with the good times and
> pain still very fresh in my mind.
>
> Friday
>
> I take a 1/2 day off and head down to the SOC and arrive around
2pm.
> After taking the lovely detour all the way around to Timbuk freakin'
> 218, I'm greeted by the oh so wonderful volunteer staff at the
entry.
> The conversation went something like this:
>
> Me - "Hi. I'm here to check in to my campground."
> Volunteer - "Uh, you got to go park first and check in."
> Me - "But the campground is all the way on the other side of the
park."
> Volunteer - "You still got to go park and check in."
> Me - "I am a registered camper - I'm in campground A."
> Volunteer - "Oh, you're camping. Go ahead."
>
> I had almost the identical conversation with the next volunteer I
was
> stopped by 100 feet later. Oi. Calgon take me away...
>
> Anyhow, so I made it in and went to check into the campsite. Ran
into
> the SOC media big wig and we talked for a bit. Then got my stuff
and
> headed up to camp.
>
> We didn't get the standard sites we have gotten in the past - nice
tree
> lined sites. No these were basically flat spots large enough for
two
> cars and tents. But there was one spot underneath the trees that
Matt
> L. and I grabbed. First come first served, last come last don't get
> none.
>
> I set up the tent and thought, great, I'll head to the expo to meet
up
> with some of my blog friends (associated with Velo Bella). But had
to
> distribute some of the suh-weet 2006 TWW garb. Unfortunately it
> started to sprinkle some so I had to sort through the stuff in my
tent.
> Not fun. After about an hour I got 4 people's orders filled. I
> needed a wall to bang my head on.
>
> Went down to the VB booth and finally got to meet Sabine as well as
> Lulu Bella, Miss Mary, Pab, XBunny, and Jeni. Dawn was there too
so I
> can cross off one New Year's resolution - to see Dawn more than
once.
> Good stuff. We stayed there until they closed down the shop - Matt
C.
> brought down a bunch of our Moose Drool and assorted accoutrements
and
> shared the wealth with some of the VB's. Was wondering if we was
going
> to save any stuff for us.
>
> http://teamwrongway.blogspot.com/2006/04/life-at-vb-tent.html
>
> Afterwards, the two Matts and I headed down to Monterey to grab some
> grub. We found this great Mexican restaurant and chowed. Hard to
beat
> homemade tortillas and nice greasy carnitas. Life was good.
>
> We then built the most pathetic fire (thanks mostly to Jeff - nice
> magnesium fire starter BTW - hope you never need to use it). Bunch
o'
> BS around the fire and off to bed.
>
> Saturday
>
> Volunteer day. In theory, sounds pretty cool - free race entry,
> t-shirt, lunch, and front row seats to the dual slalom. Well,
almost
> 11 hours later, let's just say I was not so happy. You can be
certain
> I won't be doing that again. But I did get to run some people off
the
> course and fix the dang gate that kept getting knocked over. I
> promised myself however that I would not be the typical a-hole
> volunteer. I think I accomplished my mission.
>
> http://teamwrongway.blogspot.com/2006/04/we-have-power.html
>
> The dual slalom action was pretty cool, and we as course marshals
were
> literally a few feet away from riders. These were the semi-pros and
> pros. But after awhile, it was a bit redundant. These folks were
so
> skilled that little needed to be done - unlike with the amateur
racers
> the day before who had their shoes sucked off by the mud and were
> crashing all over the place.
>
> During a break we went and watched the Pro short track race. Of
> course, we gathered where everyone else was at - and you know what
that
> means - carnage spot. There was this nasty mud pit at the top of
the
> course and then a tricky S-turn descent (also a mud pit). Riders
were
> flying over the handlebars left and right. I have to admit that
> Gunn-Rita Dahle-whatever looked damn good faceplanted in the mud
> (really, in a good way). She learned from her mistake though and
ran
> it every time after that and totally dominated. I got a few
pictures
> and posted them near real time on the blog via the mobile blogger.
The
> pro men were wiping out too. One guy basically tipped over and his
> face literally planted into the mud. Looked like he just finished
the
> Paris Roubaix.
>
> http://teamwrongway.blogspot.com/2006/04/mudfest.html
>
> http://teamwrongway.blogspot.com/2006/04/more-mudfest.html
>
> After the shift was finally over we took off back to camp and hung
out
> for a bit. More jersey distribution and then off to the free pasta
> feed sponsored by ICCC. Good stuff as usual and nice people. No
hard
> sell or anything. Just sharing the good vibes.
>
> http://teamwrongway.blogspot.com/2006/04/tww-at-pasta-feed.html
>
> I had bought a $30 propane BBQ to use to grill stuff at the
campsite.
> Several of us enguhneers assembled it but everyone was stuffed so we
> didn't use it. It would come in handy later ...
>
> Mr. Sherlock started a nice fire and we all sat around and BS'd
more.
> Matt L. was melting his shoes and didn't realize it. "But my feet
> weren't getting hot." Yeah but we were dying from the toxic fumes
> being emitted by the melting rubber.
>
> http://teamwrongway.blogspot.com/2006/04/fire-good.html
>
> Off to sleep - fortunately I didn't hear Matt L's phone ring at 1am
so
> I wasn't upset with his drunk wife for calling.
>
> Sunday
>
> Race day. Alarm goes off at 6am. This sucks. It's cold and I'm
> tired. Whine, whine, whine. A little food, the BBQ used for a
heater,
> some Leg Salsa, and all was good. Well, more like okay, but it
wasn't
> like I was going to win anyhow.
>
> Matt L. was the first to start, so off he went after some time on
the
> trainer. His goal was to not let Loren pass him (he had a 5 minute
> head start on Loren). Unfortunately, this didn't happen but he
still
> had a good time (beat my sorry a$$ by like 18 minutes). 1:40ish
>
> Loren ripped it up and took 7th in a super competitive category -
Sport
> Men 30-34. Nice job. Guess it helps to get your front derailleur
> mucked up and not be able to shift out of the big ring. 1:34ish.
>
> Allan was our favorite in the Sport SS class. He didn't disappoint,
> taking a nice 12th place against a bunch of people sandbagging who
did
> not but should probably be doing two laps. Particularly the kid who
> was spinning a 42x16. 1:39ish.
>
> Michel after doing Expert SS in the CCCX series decided to be one of
> those sandbaggers and just do a single lap. He said he didn't feel
> great, but still turned in a nice time. 1:45ish
>
> Matt C. was just caught by Allan near the end. He hasn't been
training
> a whole lot but he did bring all the Moose Drool so he's good for
> something (kidding you know). He'll get back at it soon (unless
there
> is woman to muck things up like it appears may be - meeting the mom
> already? Serious stuff dude. Good idea keeping her from meeting
us.).
> 2:15ish
>
> Bob said he had a good race. Even after sounding like a really old
man
> on the DS volunteer day (turn down that music... they play all this
> crappy music... get off my lawn you crazy kids... blah, blah,
blah),
> it sounded like he did well. He thought he did a 2:05+/-.
>
> My race, well, after doing my blood undoping about 3 weeks ago, my
> expectations changed drastically. Initially, I wanted to finish in
the
> top half of the class. But since I felt like I haven't trained in
> months and did a three week taper, now the goal was to finish and
have
> fun. I accomplished both and did a sub-2 hour lap (1:58ish). I
wore
> the infamous sombrero on my helmet too. Should be plenty of those
> photos circulating around soon.
>
> Race conditions were perfect and the course was pretty cool. With
the
> exception of a few mud bogs, it held up well. I was duking it out
with
> a woman SSer... I'd pass her, she'd pass me, and so on, and so
on. I
> managed to ride every climb except that one longish uphill
singletrack
> grunt. Then up the goat trail I couldn't keep up and didn't see her
> again until the finish and I congratulated her for spanking me (not
the
> way I like). I suffered like a mother up Skyline - on the initial
> steep climb, both of my legs locked up and I couldn't straighten
them
> out. I wanted to get off the bike but couldn't without tipping
over so
> I pedaled with my legs bent at probably a 45 degree angle standing
up
> mashing up this hill. As Bob Roll would say, "he's deep into the
hurt
> locker." But I made it and the 3km sign was such a wonderful sight
to
> see.
>
> One of the highlights of my race was shortly after this at the
> singletrack at the very end. I tucked in behind a tandem and we
ripped
> it up. They were hauling and I never had to slow down (except at
the
> sharp right hand uphill leading to the track). People were
screaming
> for me to pass them there, but I knew that I wanted to suck on their
> wheel on the track as long as I could. I kept in their draft until
the
> last corner when they motored away on the straightaway. It was cool
> and we talked about the synergy we shared on that last section.
Nice.
>
> So despite a smaller than normal turnout by TWW racers (um, Rich,
where
> were you?), it was a successful weekend. Three TWWers (Jeff,
Isaias,
> and Jason) were doing the Expert class (two laps) and didn't start
> until after 1pm. So hopefully all went well with their races. Oh,
and
> I spoke with Schlachter and he did do the DH race despite Old Lady
> Seery trying to scare him away. Sounded like he got a top 10
finish in
> the Expert DH/CX race (I'll let Scott elaborate more on that).
> Nationals here we come! Chalk up another fun SOC for TWW!
>
>
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