Flats & Batts

It's like having a flat. Out of your control. You fix it or go home. You do everything you can to be prepared, but, doggone it, sometimes there is a hidden thorn laying in wait. At two in the morning Friday night I got up in my strange and dark motel room to go to the bathroom. I tripped over the power cord that was charging the lappy and caused what turned out to be irreparable damage. So I couldn't recharge batts. And with no juice there is no post. And because there is no Apple store in Franklin, New Hampshire, the soonest I could drive the 80 miles to Salem and get a new one was after this mornings Timberman 70.3.

Ya fix the flat and ya buy a new 85 watt rs-803 power converter for 79.95.

So be it.

So now that we're patched and powered up, where to start?

Guess that would be Saturday's Mt. Washington HillClimb. I was planning on shooting this world-class climb while I was in town, but when I heard that the actual race was Saturday, the day before Timberman, I almost had a stroke. What luck. Except that I had no permission, had made zero contact with the race management and didn't even know where Mt. Washington actually was (like in longitude and latitude, not MTW.com).

I figured what the heck I'd check it out and see what I could negotiate. After the race expo I drove the two hours to base camp and asked around for the highest ranking officer and immediately found John and Ryan, Media Director and Director of Marketing. Both great guys. I had two minutes to set the table. They liked. Obstacles cleared, logistics hammered. I needed to be there at 0700, an hour before the pro wave. We'll talk about a contract later, Ryan said with classic marketing aplomb. Two hours back to the hotel, charge video batts, grab some winks, and two hours back for the shoot. Red eyed, but ready.

Glad we did, is all I will say for now. WOW.

Back at the DK Saturday night I was bushed. Prepped and re-loaded for this mornings 70.3. Transition opened at 0400 and I hadn't even met my moto pilot yet, something I like to do AT LEAST the day before, but because I spent all of Saturday atop the aforementioned highest point in NH, I was runin' (again) blind at mach 5.

But we made it work, shot some very smooth video and hit T2 just as the skies opened and drenched everyone from Bangor to Boston. Yes, boys and girls, the RCVman leads a charmed life filled with mysterious and colorful quirks and frequent chromatic twists of fate. Good, clean livin', my uncle used to say (with a wink).

Two days, two events, too much fun.

I am going to take the rest of the night off and pack for Oslo in the morning. Check out time at the cozy DK Motel is noon and check in time at Logan is 5:35. I should be OK. If somehow, someway I score an aisle seat to Norway I will convert.

Flats fixed and batteries charged.

Two from Mt. Washington. Wait till you see the video.
Two from Timberman 70.3. Repeat champions Chrissy Wellington and Andy Potts. This picture tells everything you need to know about why CW is three-time and reigning IM world champion.