What do you get whenever you mix a rose, bud, and thorn? Apparently Albuquerque, New Mexico for the 2024 Collegiate Street Nationwide Championships. Who knew?
Eight members of the street workforce traveled down south to go up in elevation, competing in 4 nationwide occasions over three days – the workforce time trial, particular person time trial, street race, and criterium. Let this weblog function proof that we found out breathe with out oxygen, and let’s stroll by means of what our week of races seemed like! After all, since we’re in Albuquerque, and since it’s Seamus’ favourite exercise, every day will likely be offered in rose/bud/thorn style. Don’t know what that’s? You’ll determine it out (nobody ever defined it to me so idk both).
Staff and Particular person Time Trial day
Rose
Hannah, Melissa, Chen, and Bianca (left to proper on the beginning) set off for the workforce time trial to the candy sounds of the commentator attempting to recruit us for jobs. Apparently Los Alamos, NM has the very best variety of PhDs per capita or one thing, little did they know that none of our riders have a level but. Regardless, that they had a blast of their first workforce time trial and completed seventh within the nation and Melissa completed the person time trial with a high 10!
Throughout the person time trials, Hannah and Mason zoomed each rider into Lee Lopez’s thesis protection, persevering with our time honored custom of embarrassing each other once they’re hyper-focused on changing into a health care provider. (We’ve got solely discovered his masters thesis on-line to date however will replace this as soon as the doctoral thesis is up too). Rumor (heard right here first) has it Los Alamos is in his future.
Bud
On the lads’s workforce, Derek (pictured right here in a very authorized aero place), Felix, Seamus, and Mason spent many of the warmup nervous that Seamus wasn’t feeling that nice after which spent the second half of the race nervous about him dropping the opposite three. A quicker time than final yr was an amazing outcome, and with three of the 4 returning for subsequent yr we’re wanting ahead to the long run. Impressed by the marginal beneficial properties acquired by the TT helmets and skinsuits (each new experiences for a number of the workforce!), the entire workforce is wanting ahead to a way forward for aero beneficial properties. Positive aspects are beneficial properties.
Thorn
After the races the true journey started, because the workforce headed to the Petroglyph Nationwide Monument in order that Seamus may stamp his nationwide parks Passport. A fairly thorny journey awaited us, with a lot of sharp scrub greeting the hikers. The worst a part of the day was undoubtedly Derek and Melissa going an additional stroll at Petroglyph and lording it over everybody else at dinner. After dinner, it turned out the bathe’s sizzling water wasn’t working. Because the close by volcanoes weren’t very interesting (editorial remark: what volcanoes? Clearly this put up will not be being written by a geologist), workforce mother and most senior mechanical engineer Hannah disassembled and reassembled the bathe to make sizzling water!
Street Race Day
Rose
Solely Mason and Hannah competed within the street race, which was roughly a forgettable expertise for Mason. Hannah, however, gained her small group’s dash and was in all probability top-5 among the many sea-level of us. In the meantime… the remainder of the workforce was on the important responsibility of shuttling across the two of them, handing up bottles and meals, and huddling round Hannah on the finish of her race to maintain her heat. This was arduous work, and required a minimum of three journeys to Sprouts (Melissa’s favourite place on earth), beans, cuties (the citrus, not Derek) a number of further USAC water bottles, and a couple of journey down the musical freeway to the tune of “America the Stunning.”
Bud
Dinner this night was, effectively, difficult. We’re nonetheless ready on the cornbread to complete cooking… Within the interim, everybody has now made it their aim to match Hannah’s t-shirt selection with out her figuring out, as Mason managed to perform a minimum of as soon as on this journey.
Along with this admirable aim, some, extra, intrepid (?) members of the workforce proposed the aero-enhancing camelbak skinsuit as a startup thought. Their slogan? Hydraero 3000! Or possibly Watersuit! Bianca is workshopping nonetheless however regardless, catch us on Shark Tank subsequent week!
Thorn
The workforce actually wanted dinner that evening, since many of the riders ended up doing longer rides than Hannah or Mason between shepherding us across the course and concluding their rides with a giant climb up Sandia Peak (which will get above 10k toes on the high). This was significantly accentuated by the faux truce Seamus tried to make with Felix close to the highest, as the 2 of them slowly ramped up the tempo on the way in which up the climb. Melissa, Bianca, and Chen adopted at a extra cheap tempo and it turned nearly everybody’s largest climb ever! Opinions differed on how pleasurable the descent was: Melissa tore down like a slalom ski champ, Chen honed their apexing expertise due to WTC cornering day, Bianca bought in her arm day pulling brakes.
Derek, though he didn’t race or do the massive climb and solely finally bought cornbread, was nonetheless not noted to dry. Hannah went to “””lay down””” in his mattress to get away from the hullabaloo and wakened there the subsequent morning, Derek banished to the sofa and woken up at 5am by the remainder of the workforce. Her solely excuse? Sorry, it was very comfy! (editorial remark: Hannah had additionally set a greatest 20 minute energy in the course of the street race… at 7,200’… tiredness was justified.)
Criterium Day
Rose
The crit was a tough day trip for everybody with the one rose-worthy race point out being Hannah profitable her second mini dash of the weekend (albeit for twelfth total/high 5 of the sea-level colleges after crashing earlier within the race however a dash win continues to be a win!). Jealous of the Sandia Crest outing by the group the day earlier than, Derek motivated Mason and Hannah to go peak bagging within the afternoon. We missed out on the fantastic solar and as a substitute had been handled to 30+mph wind gusts and temperatures on the highest to match the remaining winter snow. Regardless of the chilly, the views had been nonetheless gorgeous and the group picture ended up manner cuter than anticipated!
Bud
With the rotation of the Nationals venue each two years, it’d truly be at sea degree subsequent yr! #bringontheoxygen!
Thorn
For the second yr in a row, the Rio Grande Celtic Pageant was taking place contained in the crit course all through the race (to be clear, this isn’t the thorn, hold studying). This led to a relentless soundtrack of bagpipes all through the day and to some stellar intermingling between the biking followers and the Celtic followers. A thorn for some was a rose for others when Hannah shortly deserted Mason to elucidate to somebody’s grandma how bikes haven’t modified a lot in 70 years. Mason had simply been pulled from his crit, was not amused, and Hannah, in fact, documented the event with glee from afar.
Journey Day
Rose
Half the workforce headed again on Sunday morning, leaving Derek, Hannah, and Mason to fend for themselves on the criterium. It’s arduous to discover a rose on a journey day, however Seamus convincing all 4 of his NUMTOTs to take public transport residence, bike luggage and all, was by far the spotlight.
Bud
One method to journey, and that we’re wanting ahead to seeing extra of sooner or later, is Dartmouth’s chosen methodology. Helmets within the airport (simply identifiable), paceline strolling always (drafting is essential at 2.5mph), and further compact use of porta-potties (don’t ask) are all admirable journey strategies we count on to see extra of from them on the subsequent ECCC race. Groups from different conferences at nationals didn’t perceive however Dartmouth, we see you and respect you.
Thorn
Sadly, journey day 1 ended up hanging out within the nice metropolis of Houston for six further hours on Sunday. Bianca selected to go the time alternating between her newly acquired USAC water bottle and napping, whereas Felix returned to the working world. Seamus, Melissa, and Chen had been nowhere to be discovered (in all probability joyriding on the airport tram if we had been to guess although).
Last Ideas
Rose
General, nationals was an enormous success. MIT was certainly one of 5 Membership groups to ship each full women and men’s groups and have racers in each occasion of the weekend. We had enjoyable, we challenged ourselves, and we seemed professional whereas doing it with nail polish to match our package. What extra may you ask for? (editorial remark: the Gatorade Man is what extra. Mason’s favourite volunteer from final yr was again once more this yr, enthusiastically forcing ice chilly hydration on us at each flip. We would have liked him, and he delivered. Thanks, Gatorade Man.)
Thorn
Marking the top of the season is bittersweet as buddies graduate and we wait a complete yr to do that all once more. On the intense aspect, the most effective using months in Boston are simply arriving and a few would possibly say #crossiscoming or possibly even observe season?!
(Fancy) images credit score: Craig Huffman Pictures
Textual content primarily by Mason
