It's about time I get back to blogging! I'm sorry for those of you that have been waiting to see pics of Mike's race. I have no good excuse, just didn't feel like getting on the computer.
I wish I had had the energy to do it all right after we got back, so that things were still fresh on my mind. But, we got sick with strep throat, then life just didn't slow down long enough for me to wrap my head around it all. But, the kids are now in school, which means I have uninterrupted hours of the day that I can get stuff done.
The race was epic! Mike completely crushed his goal, which made each hour that passed more exciting to follow him. I will be dividing the posts up so that the pictures are not too long.
Mike was supposed to be starting in the back, behind two of his friends that he had been training really hard with, and among hundreds of riders that would be difficult to pass in order to make his goal time. However, thanks to his awesome trainer Trista (who is also my awesome counsin), and a friend of hers at Timex, he was able to start almost at the very front! Not only did this make his chances of making his time a lot better, but I am sure it gave him a great confidence boost as well.
Here is his bib number, along with the splits that he taped to his bike.

Mike was lucky enough to be cheered along not only by me and the kids, but also his two sisters and family, his parents, Trista and her whole family, my brother and his family, coworkers, and dear friends. Not to mention those that were following his progress online. It was amazing to feel that many supporters excited to watch Mike race!
Our kids were not supposed to be at the race until the afternoon, but Madelyn wanted to see Mike at the starting line, which meant she had to wake up at 4:30am to get there. She was excited to see him get started! It was a cold 40 degrees outside, and she didn't have enough warm clothing, so she was wrapped up in a large sweatshirt and anything else we could find for her.

I stayed at the trailer in Leadville the night before the race, while the rest of the family stayed in Vail and traveled up the next day. I was honored to make Craig and Mike eggs in the morning, and assist with some preparation for the day.
When I arrived at the start, and finally found Mike, I didn't realize I was standing right next to Trista until she turned around and threw her arms around me! Here she is with Mike before the start, giving him some last words of advice and encouragement.

Here you see where Mike miraculously started. The front row shows a few pros including Tinker Juarez and Rebecca Rusch (placed #1 for women).
The race founder, Ken Chlouber, was there to fire the traditional gunshot to start the race. And I love this picture of Craig Mordock, one of Mike's great training friends.

I LOVE this picture of the riders taking off through the mist, and all the spectators trying to get photos of their riders.

Overall, a very exciting start to the day.