Headed to Check Point Two: Hains Point to Madoff Skate Park at RFK... then from there... 10th and U Street....


I rolled through Check Point One in pretty good position
pedaling out the backside of Hains Point I slugged down the liquid in my water bottle... Gator-Rage: Gatorade and Red Bull
then I hit record on Strava and snapped a few shots

did not take many photos
having broken my elbow doing this photo of a cyclist while riding my bike thing has being being a little more cautious

riding at race pace and doing the camera thing is a dangerous dance
so after these shots I did not take any more photos until the alleycat was done


rolling out of Check Point One at Hains Point I tried to get a mental image of the best route to RFK
there was some mumbling about taking the highway
but for me... I-395 is not worth the risk
so I looked for alternates

there was a little consideration for Francis Case Memorial Bridge
but it seemed risky
if the bridge route were not faster than the Maine Avenue route
then I would set myself further back behind the fast legs

early on I got a sense that I did not match up well with the kids on their fixed gears
yet... I rode in their pack and worked with them
perhaps a tactical error

we rode together on Maine Avenue
traffic was pretty sparse
when the lights were not in our favor it was pretty free and easy

there was some discussion as we moved on our best route
I suggested 8th Street by Barracks Row
there was agreement
but there was this issue about intensity and pace

before 8th Street I ducked down 7th
I could not maintain their intensity
and while 8th was an obvious choice
I felt that 7th would offer fewer variables

down 7th Street then a right hand turn on E Street
from a block away I saw the boys on track bikes passed in front of me on 8th Street 
then on Penn Avenue I was once again ahead of the pack
but in seconds they were on my wheel ripping off my route

they were riding blind
I was open with where I was headed
they were going to follow me
best to reduce risk of bike on bike collision I voiced my next move

it was some zigging and zagging
but it was a decent enough path to the skate park

we all got into line and got our manifest stamped
as we collected ourselves and pointed to our next destination I heard Brian say something to the effect, "alright 14th and Upshur"
to which my need to correct people when they are wrong... I told Brian, "no... 10th and U Street"

it would have been to my advantage not to correct Brian... but to let him go on his way
sure he could have sorted it out... it was nice and all
but tactically not to my advantage
again I found myself trying to match intensity with riders of a very different style

so I let the faster\fitter\younger riders on fixed gears roll ahead
then Matt and Dave rolled up on me

Matt and Dave rolled up fast then dropped into a steady grove
not as fast as intense as the kids up ahead
in fact I felt that the pace that they were pushing at this moment was slightly off from what I was pushing alone
but it worked for me... nice for me to settle in

I was already getting worried about liquids
plotting pulling off at a corner store
looking for a hot dog vendor
anything that would quench my thirst but not zap up very much time

with Dave and Matt by my side there was some playful camaraderie but I did not feel any team allegiance 
there was talk of trajectory
I figured we would\should just head up Mass Ave through Northeast past Union Station and then on up towards the Convention Center at Mount Vernon Square

at Mount Vernon Square I altered my intentions
in part curious if Dave and Matt would follow
without any reason except for flow
I did some zigging and zagging

Dave and Matt did not follow
I had to overshoot 10th
actually... 10th was one way and I went up 10th
went right past Kevin Dillard's place

but 10th runs dead ends
so I had to do some corrections

I rolled up to the Check Point at 10th and Shaw right behind Matt and Dave
up onto the curb in line to get my manifest signed
dave-matt-me
those guys stalled in the shade for a minute
while I got back on the bike and took 11th Street up town towards Upshur