1) On the Road Again by Willie Nelson - The 400K started at 5:00 AM. When I got my bicycle out, my front tire was flat. Ack! Even worse, my spare tube was no good, either. Julie and Calista pitched in to get me going. Calista headed on so that she could ride with Nigel while Chad, Jen, and Julie waited on me to finish fixing my flat. Fortunately, we were only about 10 minutes late leaving. By the way, On the Road Again is also appropriate if you're ready to leave a control but your buddies aren't quite ready.
2) The Budweiser Song by the Georgia Tech band (The best version ever! The GT band always plays it between third and fourth quarter at football games. Bobbing up and down is mandatory.) - Chad wanted to make sure to get a picture of the four of us, primarily so he could show his male cycling friends back in Kosovo that women can ride bicycles farther than they can. How nice to be able to help with international relations! Nigel took this picture at the control in Clarks Hill, SC. When Chad posted it, I laughed about the Budweiser sign that I didn't even know was behind us. We couldn't have positioned it any better. These are some great rando buds:
Julie, Jen, me, Chad |
4) Red Barchetta by Rush - We passed a house that had a sign reading "Country Place." I started singing, "My uncle has a country place that no one knows about..." Chad and Jen both seemed to get the reference, which means they have excellent taste in music. (And Jen is Canadian, like Rush!) Because the sign is right next to the road, lots of people probably know about this place. Therefore, Geddy Lee's uncle probably doesn't live here.
5) Cool Water by Marty Robbins (Others have also sung this western classic, but Marty Robbins is the version most familiar to me.) - I'm quite heat resistant, but the day seemed extra hot even to me. My companions - all originally from higher latitudes - were getting pretty desperate for something to drink. The part of the route around Wrightsboro is remote. There aren't even very many churches, which are usually a good bet for water. However, at last we did find a church with a working outdoor spigot. Thank you, Lord, and thank you, New Zion Hill A.M.E. Church!
6) Ultraman theme song - I had to take a picture of Chad's shoes:
They would be perfect for Ultraman!
7) Have a Coke and a Smile jingle - probably a little catchier than Have a Coke and a Sardine:
8) Little Red Corvette by Prince - At the convenience store control in Sparta, an older guy in a red corvette pulled up beside our bicycles. As he pumped gas, I sang to him, "Little red corvette..." He got a big kick out of that. I'm glad I made him smile.
9) With a Little Help from My Friends by Joe Cocker - This song embodies the true randonneuring spirit. Under what other circumstances than a randonee could you and your friends stand in a CVS parking lot, smearing Vaseline inside your cycling shorts?
10) The Final Countdown by Europe - About 20 miles from the end, Julie noted that it was the final countdown. Once again I broke into song, even trying to make electronic keyboard sound effects. I don't think my rando buddies appreciated my efforts. Maybe they were just too tired to notice. Either way, we finished successfully, cruising in at 11:39 PM. Finishing a 400K before midnight is such a bonus!
I was so glad to spend such a great day on the bike with all three of my companions. An extra big shout out to Jen, who completed her first 400K! Her previous longest distance was about 150 miles, and riding Friday's 260 miles was a big step up. Also, a huge thank you to our RBA Kevin, who does so much to make our Georgia brevets possible. Ride on!
OMG this is priceless! I was smiling the whole time I was reading. Will always have the Fondest Memories of cycling my first 400K with all of you!!
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