I’d set my bike up to race this one. From all the locals I’d heard it was a challenging and fun event. It was challenging and ironically it was the Vision Quest part that was the challenge not the racing part.
A vision quest is a rite of passage, similar to an initiation, in some Native American cultures.
I had trouble with my vision all day. First it was getting ready in the dark without a light, then riding up a narrow rut filled racer choked road in the dark and fog with no light. This put me in a borderline panic state until it got light. When it did get light my glasses were too mucked up to wear and the fog put visibility at 30 feet sometimes. After narrowly missing a rut at 20 mph I slowed waaay down. Muck in the unprotected eyeballs added to the Vision challenge.
I’m not sure what I was supposed to be learning but lessons were all over the place. The course was not marked! This did not actually occur to me that a race I paid $128 to enter would not be marked. It was a complete surprise… Throughout the race I waited up at intersections for someone to catch me from behind who knew the way… Another vision challenge. Hmmph. My racer head was switched off and I found some joy looking at the scenery and riding along some fun trails on my bike. The course was open to the public and I met many hikers out on the trails. I dislike being uncourteous so slowed and thanked each one for letting me by. Towards the end of the “race” there was a fun single-track section with two way racer traffic, hikers, dogs and I even saw a deer! The 2-way single-track racer traffic was confusing. Having that as part of a race course was so outside the realm of what I though was probable I was sure I had missed a turn and was riding backwards on the course. I didn’t know where I was – in SO California somewhere?
But I kept plodding along and reached the finish-line 3rd SSer in 6:22. Good enough for a female SS course record.
On the way home we met up with the fella driving this car. Head on.
He greeted us from the oncoming direction at 80 mph doing donuts after losing it in a corner. He tagged an F350 pick up truck in front of us turning it sideways then spinning in the air. I saw its roof-undercarriage-roof-undercarriage a few times in the space of a second.
Then BAAAM, the asshole rallying his little souped up Subaru with fake decals to make it look like a higher model than it actually was, hit us head on. It was most violent and shocking.
On this little corner of the road where it happened there were 5 memorials presumably of people who had died there. The lame yahoo who disregarded everybody’s lives on this public road was on the way to see his friends finish Vision Quest of all things! In our car were my 2 kids, me, Dave and Carol Ann driving. Four in the pick-up. No serious injuries. Wes and I have some nice seatbelt burn and we all have an assortment of bruises but are ok. Poor Carol Ann now has no car.
Sunday was Disney time
Nobody likes leaving Disneyland.
That is INSANE! Glad everyone is OK. Car wrecks are super scary!!!
Holy s&*( Linda! I’m glad you guys are okay. Great job to you and Dave at the race but more importantly I’m glad that crazy a$$hole didn’t kill anyone :o
The best result of all, you guys escaped unscathed from the inconsiderate a$$hat driving the other car.
Ed
WOW!
just WOW!
glad you kidz made it out ok, skeeeetchy.
Lynda … i held my breath reading your post. i’m so incredibly glad and relieved that you all made it through that nightmare okay. thank goodness thank goodness thank goodness —–
recover (from the race, from the wreck, from disneyland) WELL.
jj
Oh my god!!! How absolutely ridiculous that he was on his way to the race finish – thank goodness you guys (and the kids!!!) are okay!!! That guy should be glad you didn’t get out of the crashed car and beat the Sh*t out of him… as I can only imagine you wanted to (and I’m certain you’d do just as well as you race :)
On a better note – Congrats on the Women’s SS record and your little princess looks so adorable (as always) with the Disney Princesses!!!
Meredith: The urge to retaliate against the guy was immense for all of us. He was about 30ish and flabby and should be reckless and out of control by himself on single-track not on a public road. He rested with his head on one memorial and his feet up on another while he waited for the tow truck and cops to arrive. The level of disrespect of this increased my utter disgust of him. I didn’t want to give him any of my own energy in the end. He didn’t deserve that.
on a lighter note…..
Are the bikes OK?!?!?!?
Tomi – funny you should ask. Carol Ann had a roof rack that held the bikes perfectly in place. I commented that she had one helluva rack and should be sure to hold on to that part of the car.
VQ sounds kinda lame, but your race sounds fantastic considering. Good job on the record!
The whole car thing is awful. I hope everyone is going to remain OK.
That last pic of your daughter is priceless. It sums up Disneyland, and… maybe the trip? (sweet and sad)
Next time come to NorCal!
Morgan
We are definitely all blessed to be okay. As for that bombproof bike rack, I’m currently at odds with the junkyard to get it off the car. I went over there today to get it…and apparenlty it was a liability for me to take it off…of my car… what? I want my damn rack! BTW, props to Progressive Insurance, I already have a check for my car.
Glad y’all made it home safe and sound.
“He rested with his head on one memorial and his feet up on another while he waited for the tow truck and cops to arrive.”
Huh? Infuriating, absolutely infuriating!! I will resist the urge to rant…………..
Good for you guys on making it a successful and fun weekend despite the circumstances.
Ed
Dang gald y’all are ok!
Super congats on the Record LW!!
Whoa Nellie…………
read Dave’s earlier report, been waiting for your’s,
thankful everyone is ok!!!
the race sounds sort of lame but congratulations on the record setting result
love the DL pictures, they sort of put it all in proper perspective
I was afraid to keep reading past the first crashed car pic. Very glad to read that everyone is OK.
2 way traffic and no trail markers on a paid race? Huh.
Lynda – I only know you from chasing Brian around the Santa Anas the morning before the VQ. Between me yelling ahead to him and him doing his best to wait up for me, I heard you were racing and hanging with he and Carol Ann. Boy am I glad to hear all of you are okay…I’ve got the name of a great bike lawyer if you need. Give Brian and Carol Ann a hollar and I’ll pass the info on.
Sincerely
Auk
1st, congrats on your VQ record and surviving that senseless crash. We are so glad all of you are OK.
2nd, shame on you for not expending your siginficant energy bitch-slapping that insulant fat ass back to reality. I’m sure you’re not the first car he’s hit, and you won’t be the last. Jerks like him need to pay in the court of public opinion (vigilantism!!!). To hell with compasion and understanding, castrate him! He’ll never learn otherwise. Sorry for my redneck stance, people like him just piss me off bigtime. You’re a better person than me.
Holy crap! Reading that you set a women’s singlespeed record in your first long race on the singlespeed was not totally unexpected. :) Congratulations on a super effort.
The rest of the report was a serious shock and I am SO glad that everyone is ok. Pummeling that loser with a piece of Carol Ann’s broken car would have been very tempting given the situation but in the end would have served no useful purpose. Wes and the little princess have a great role model.
Holy cow…wow, what a jerk! Glad that you guys survived and that no one was seriously injured.
On a better note – congrats for rocking the course on the unocog! . Way to go!
DEAR GOD!! Thankfully you are all safe.
Seeing the car made me forget that you guys
were even there to race.
Vison Quest indeed.
j
That’s a really sad pic of your girl who seemed super psyched in the two previous pics. I think that candy is as big as her head! Congrats on a great job at VQ and I’m glad you’re all o.k.
I must say this is the *craziest* race report I’ve ever read. it was like a rollercoaster. ;) Leave to it you Lynda to have an experience like this and come out on top. Great job on the race (even with all the issues), glad everyone survived the crash, and looks like you have fun in disneyland. I *love* that last pic – you little girlie is something else.