Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Spank is ON!
Today's big news is that the 08 Spank Rally is on. This is such a relief. Once I found out I was in for 09, it became imperative to run a multi-day rally this year. George had some issues with the Spank and wasn't sure if was going to happen. That caused me to run a bunch of alternate scenarios. But earlier today he let us know it's definitely going to happen. Awesome! My plan is to have my bike all farkled for 09 before the Spank, so I can test drive it in rally mode.

Planning and Research
Now that it's sunk in, I'm starting to get ready. There is a web forum for all the 09 participants to check in. I'm amazed at how many rookies there are. There's safety in numbers! Also good is the number of people who were rookies in 07 and are back in 09. This group is the greatest, because they're still enthusiastic and willing to help, and they have some excellent experiences to share. I think the ones who've done it 3 and 4 times are over all that, they just want to go out and do their thing.

I've told some riding buddies the good news. Immediately I picked up a pit crew and ground support. It's so great and comforting knowing that I have competent people willing to go out of their way to help me. Ken Meese and I have already started talking about what I might need in the way of mechanical services during the pit stop. At this point I'm thinking of a tire change, and possibly an oil change and valve adjustment. Plus there will likely be some minor repairs required, who knows what they'll be? Hopefully nothing more than a blown turn signal. We have a year and a half to work out the logistics of the pit stop.

Pit stop? Well, the rally has a start, two checkpoints, and a finish. I think that the last checkpoint before the finish will be when I want things refreshed. That'll probably be around day 8 or 9. I'll need tires for sure. Rebecca and Paul both said they used ME88s for the whole rally because they didn't want to worry about tread life. I feel that I'd rather have the better traction and feel of a set of sport touring tires, at the sacrifice of longevity. I like to corner briskly, and if I'm not confident in my grip I won't ride as well as I want to.

Some things I want to do:
  • Replace my BMW top case with a square Pelican case. Rebecca has one and I'm impressed. The BMW case is oddly shaped and hard to fully utilize.
  • I'm talking to RV about swapping fuel cells. Hers is slightly bigger, and I'll take all the advantage I can get.
  • Once the fuel cell thing is settled I'm going to order a Linda T fuel cell luggage setup. I've seen them, they're great.
  • I've got to get my cell phone hookup finalized. My LG phone doesn't work very well with the Zumo. The sound is crappy. It's not on the Garmin supported list. I'm going to get a Motorola KRZR, which is on the list and the folks on zumoforums.com say it works fine. Got a tip from our Verizon rep, he said to just buy one on craigslist and switch my number. That'll save me about $150.
  • I'm considering using a 2nd GPS for average speed and other calcs. I've seen it before on IBR bikes but I always thought it was too much geek/nerd stuff. When RV said it was really helpful I thought again.
Sponsorship
Last week I went down to Ted Porter's Beemer Shop to talk about what my bike needs (it's 11 years old and has 95K on it.) He had some great suggestions, none of which sounded too expensive. I think he's a great mechanic and a good guy to talk to. I have lots of confidence in his shop. I asked him about sponsoring me as an Iron Butt Rally rider. He didn't want to commit, because he isn't sure what he'll get out of it in terms of new business. Also he said it's a slow year for his shop due to the economy. But somehow I got the feeling that he wants to help out, so we'll see what comes of that.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The last entry had me thinking about whether I should do this or not. We've been talking a lot about it at home. The morning after I got the initial announcement, Sally called me on the phone and said she wanted me to do it because she knows how much this means to me. That made me feel really great. What an awesome wife. I am a lucky guy to have her.

But still I went out and started asking some of the other rally riders with young kids how they are approaching it. Basically their thought process is the same as mine. When you have that family waiting back home, your first priority always has to be to get home alive. Even if it means you don't finish the event, or you don't place as highly as you could if you took more risks. That's how I've always managed it too. There was one one rally when I rode with another guy for awhile. We were under the gun time-wise, and had to ride pretty briskly to beat the deadline. There were one or two spots where I held back because the margin of safety wasn't quite big enough for me. I remember thinking at the time, I don't want to risk crashing just to earn this bonus. How horrible would Sally feel if she knew I crashed because of a bad choice. My friend made the pass that I didn't. He got to the next location sooner than I did, but not by much. I knew I had done the right thing for me. He did the right thing for him, and that's totally fine.

On other rallies I've had to pause to rest or even sleep. Again, it's because I promised Sally I'd take care of myself and not ride fatigued. I can't put myself into a position where I cause my own downfall due to poor judgment.

There are enough risks just swinging a leg over a bike. The usual ones are car drivers who don't see you, deer running in front of you, and something slippery on the road (ice, oil, gravel.) For those you use your standard risk mitigation: wearing safety gear at all times, not riding too fast for conditions, being aware and anticipating the other drivers. Those are the normal risks that are always in my mind, but I don't worry too much about them. It's the special rally risks that are on the table right now.

Last night at dinner, it was Claire who sealed the deal. I was talking about how my rally priorities would be 1. Get home safely. 2. Finish the rally. 3. Place well in the rally. Claire said, "No, Daddy. It should be 1. Get home safely. 2. HAVE FUN. 3. Finish the rally. 4. Place well." My seven year old daughter is a very smart girl. I feel really good about sending in my rally fee now.

The rally is ON!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I'm in!!

It has begun. Yesterday afternoon I got the email from Lisa Landry that started with the words, Congratulations! Your application was drawn for entry in the 2009 Iron Butt Rally.” I was at work, on the phone at the time, absentmindedly checking my email for the umpty-umpth time. I couldn’t say anything out loud at the time, but I did a silent “woo hoo!” and raised my arms in triumph. A tingly feeling of warmth and well-being swept through my body. The days and weeks of anticipation were over, and I had gotten my wish. I could breathe, and I could smile.

I submitted my application in late January. The drawing was on or about April 1 and the notifications were promised to go out no later than April 15th. Well, for two weeks I’ve been manically checking my email, and reading the tea leaves with George Zelenz. George has been my IBR guru since I helped him on the 07 Spank. He was very interested in whether or not I got in. It's nice to have made a friend in George. My work on the Spank was not rooted in any ulterior motives, it just naturally evolved out of some conversations we had regarding GPS tech stuff. We worked well together. Then I met L3 and "Chopped Liver" Hobart at the mountain-top bonus, and ended up finishing 2nd in the rally. I don't know if any of that had an impact, but at some point the right people decided I was IBR material. Yay me! Now all that was required was some luck on drawing day...

Why?

Now comes the hard part: soul searching. Is this the right thing to do? Should I leave my wife and daughter alone for two weeks while I risk my life and limb on a wild goose chase? Is this a wise use of the thousands of dollars this is going to cost? How dangerous is this, really? The answer to all these is rooted in the answer to the really big question: What does the Iron Butt Rally mean to me? Why am I doing it, and what do I get out of it? I have until May 15th to pay my deposit. After that there’s no going back. These were the topics of bedtime discussion at the 518 residence last night.

What is the Iron Butt Rally? To me, it’s the Super Bowl and the Olympics of my sport. Only the best riders get in, and the best of the best make it to the winner’s circle. Making it to the starting line of the IBR is itself an affirmation of my standing and abilities in the community. (Either that or plain luck, don't kid yourself, Jer.) Just finishing, even in last place, is an accomplishment that very few have ever made. Right now there are 364 people who have ever finished the IBR, compared with 2436 people who have climbed Mt. Everest. Endurance riding is my mountain climbing. I want to be counted with the best. This is my chance to prove it.

Why endurance rallying? Most other sports don't have life-threatening risks. As Sally said last night, why not take up marathon running? This one is harder to answer. I call endurance rallying the greatest game on Earth. I certainly have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows during rallies. Obviously I love riding my bike on the open road. I love seeing beautiful scenery, enjoying the varied terrain, discovering different places and the people in them. When I’m on the bike I feel like I’m blessed by God to live in our world. It’s like being fully alive. The world is a gift given to me to enjoy.

But I can do all those things on a normal schedule, without the deprivations of “rally time.” The rally part appeals to me because of the challenge. The rallymaster does his best to create a puzzle with an answer that’s unknown until it’s over. When choosing targets, you need to ask yourself: is this bonus worth the effort required to get it? Can I make this in combination with all the other chosen targets? I need to think faster and better than the other riders to solve the puzzle better than anyone else. Then you need to execute the plan, which is easier said than done. Small mistakes add up, and big mistakes hurt like hell when you realize you’ve made them. When I excel in a rally I have affirmed my skills, and honed them for the future. When I do poorly I am challenged to examine what went wrong and learn from it, while keeping a positive attitude. The 07 Spank was particularly gratifying, because it was a mental challenge that I solved well, and it included some kick-ass riding. (Ken Meese knows what I mean.)

Rally bonus locations are beautiful, offbeat, difficult, funny, thought-provoking. I can’t tell you how many places I never would have visited had it not been on a rally. Jump into a lake, touch the Mexico border fence, cross Flaming Gorge Dam in the midnight darkness, the list goes on. Visiting bonii is another way to enjoy God’s gift, and learn about the twisted sensibilities of your rallymaster at the same time.

I must mention that LD people are top notch folks. The leaders in our sport, the rallymasters and rally winners, are invariably ultra-smart, and full of integrity and giving. Underneath the tough veneer they coach the new folks. Everybody knows that any type of cheating is unthinkable. People will stop and render assistance when needed, even when it threatens their own rally, because it’s the right thing to do. Above all, we have the bond of having gone into combat together, and emerged to lie about it over beers later.

The bottom line is, I am called to rallying. It touches me in a way few other things do. At my core I am a husband, a father, a Christian, and a long distance rider. This calling overrides any risk factor. I do my best to mitigate the risks. My bike is set up for maximum lighting, traction, and braking. I practice my skills on mountain roads and track days. Whenever I start to do something chancy, I think about my girls back home. Priority One is always to make it home to them, and I won’t take any bad bets that would jeopardize that. I have been doing this long enough to read my own fatigue levels, and to know when it’s time to stop and rest. Yes, there is random risk that is out of my control. For those situations I pray that the Lord will protect me and my family. He has answered those prayers in the past, and he has given me this opportunity to ride in the IBR. I’m going to use it as righteously as I can.