Shayne's Run, Pre-Run

Yesterday, we did the annual pre-run check of the route we ride on the upcoming Shayne's Run, held in September. After having done this route many times before (both pre-runs, and on the actual runs themselves), we all know the route quite well. The purpose of the pre-run is not to familiarize ourselves with the turns and intersections, it's to ensure there are no construction issues or roadway hazards which will need to be accounted for in our planning.

As things turned out, there was good news and bad; the bad news was that a stretch of the route is all torn up to be repaved. The manhole covers are raised, but they're marked well and are ringed with a bit of pavement around them to minimize the impact on tires, so all in all, it shouldn't be too bad. To be honest, if this is the extent of the 'bad' on this run, then we'll be in decent shape.

The good news is that Bellingham has finally repaved a section of Maple Street which was always the absolute worst stretch of the route. Imagine our pleasant surprise when, rather than the expected shock-busting potholes and teeth-rattling bumps we're used to, we were treated to new, smooth blacktop. It's about time!

The only other glitch we had to deal with was the thickening clouds above our heads. We sped up our pace in the hopes we would outrun the coming rain, but to our dismay; we were not successful. By the time we rolled back into the Post's parking lot, we were...well, not soaked, mind you...let's say 'decently dampened'.

All in all, things look good, and we're hoping that that one stretch we encountered that's torn up will be repaved in the next few weeks. If that happens, then the entire route should be nice and smooth.

Let's see if I can post some pics now.

I took these at the cemetery where Shayne is buried. Stopping here to say our thanks is a tradition for the pre-run, not to mention; a luxury we cannot afford on the day of the actual run. Logistically, that is a flat out impossibility, so we pay our respects as part of the pre-run.

Here's hoping that we paid our dues to the rain gods last night, and that they will now see fit to bless us with great weather for the run itself. (It's good to hope, right?)

Ride Hard, Take Chances