Day 10 ... early Day 11

It’s late on Day 10 people. This morning Team Talken McGaffin’s SPOT rode through a town called Marathon. Yup, that’s what we’re in these final hours. As anyone who runs marathons will tell you, it’s the last .2 that will get you. 

Looking at the IBR Daily Reports, the wheels were coming off for some riders over the past two days, literally. Rider 9 is in this club. Since a tire change in Denver was not in the cards, Team Talken McGaffin was in dire need of a rear tire yesterday. They were able to get a tire change in the afternoon, but it was not smooth and they lost nearly 3 hours with the clock ticking. It is their story to tell when they can later, but suffice to say these are the times that make riders want to crawl out of their skin. Rally spouses too. Things sorted, they continued with their ride plan towards last night’s rest bonus. Only to get a front tire puncture. They made a repair whilst being bombarded by mosquitos. The SPOT was moving again when it should have been this morning. 

Team Talken McGaffin rode through my home state of MI today, where the rally pups and I have decamped over the past couple of weeks. There are so many friends, family and long-distance co-workers that they rode by today. I told Kirsten to picture I-75 festooned with streamers and confetti as they go along. Soak up the good karma and get back to the barn. Because that would be preferable to the rain that has been soaking them (and many other riders) for days. She called it a “frog choker,” with rain pelting the visors, and causing the never-before-has-it-leaked plastic sleeve with the all important rally log to leak.

These are the hours when rallying feels like a very poor decision. The fatigue sits heavy. Patience is thin. The only way out is through. And visions of warm showers, warm food, and cold beverages dance through their heads. Send some luck the way of these riders slogging their way back to Pittsburgh. The clock is still ticking and it’s now a 9 hour rally to stop the clock at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning.

There is a gaggle of rally spouses, rally pups, friends, and IBR veterans here after midnight waiting at the front door of Rally HQ Pittsburgh. Things are quiet. Several riders have come in this evening, to a warm welcome. Riders will come in throughout the night as the sun chases the moon for the final day of IBR 2023.