Racing with the Boss

The commander of 2-104th Aviation, LTC Joel Allmandinger, is an avid bicyclist.  He mostly rode mountain bikes before our deployment.  He rode in Iraq also and won the individual category in the Thanksgiving Day Biathlon held at Tallil Ali Air Base in 2009.  On Saturday we competed in different races at the same time as part of the Turkey Hill Country Classic.

LTC Allmandinger races in Category 5, at least until he moves up to Cat 4.  I race in the 50+ category.  Since he is 40 even when he moves up to Cat 4 and can do age-group races, we won't be in the same races.  He won a race three weeks earlier at Farmersville Lancaster County.  It was a cold day with rain on and off and wet roads for the whole event.  I finished way behind the leaders.

It wouldn't seem like one weekend a month is a big deal, but serious bicycle racing means racing a lot.  We go to summer camp for two weeks in June, but that means three weekends.

The civilians in my life think drill weekend is physical.  Actually, drill weekend cuts into my exercise routine.

Oh well, at least we get paid to miss races.