Florida Challenge 2013

This was a flat out fun weekend!  The Florida Challenge is an HPV (Human Powered Vehicle) event held at the cycle park in Cooper City, FL every year.  This would be my first time going.  I had just spent the previous weekend at Sebring and I was a little tired to say the least plus I was fighting off a cold.  I arrived in Sarasota and helped John and Jacquie load the Team Vite van and then slept over.  We got up early and drove the 3.5 hours there and were ready to race by 9 or so.  Fun is all I can say!  I had a great time with old friends and I met some great new ones!  Even Mia, the dog, was there for the missed licks between races and to play with the Team Vite mascot Bella, the Great Dane. 
My aching legs were screaming, but I had some great experiences!  A couple fond memories were the last sprint of the 20 minute race between me and Kent (he won by a few hundredths of a second!), The 50 lap event at the Velodrome where I got spanked by TT specialist Mike Mowett (Upright Mike) and his low racer, and my first experience on the Velodrome with no warm up.  We showed up a bit late on Sunday morning so we didn't get to warm up.  The advice given was good, but scary!  I would get a one lap speed up where I would have to stay above 18 on the wall or risk falling down the corner and dive for the start line at full speed, hang on the black line and crank like crazy.  It was scary and exhilarating!
Here are some pics to describe the fun!  All the pics were taken by Jacquie Schlitter with my camera.  It would appear she has some talent other than riding bikes!!!!

 

The whole Weekend was a blast!  Thank you so much John, Jacquie, Lexi, and Lilly for putting up with my grumpy old self!!!!!  You are one in a million!!!!!