24 Hours of Booty
July 29-30, 2016
Charlotte, NC
24 hours of booty is a 24 hour
cycling event that benefits cancer organizations. I was a booty virgin, I borrowed
that phrase from one of my TIFL Charlotte sisters Julie Hecht Hackman Tettmar, last year. I really enjoyed it
and decided to come back for round 2. When you sign up for 24HOB you commit to
raise $400 in order to ride. Back when I was employed, fundraising I thought
was pretty easy. I would strategically solicit my fellow co-workers on payday
Fridays. The company has a matching gift program as well so that would double
the donation. As most folks know I became unemployed October 2015. Now fundraising
is like pulling teeth. I started off with an email chain to a few people. I also
used social media. With a lot more soliciting friends and family I finally met
my goal 2 days before the deadline. It was down to the wire.
I left
Raleigh Friday around lunchtime and headed southbound on 85. After running into
standstill traffic a couple of times and finally stopping for lunch, I made it
to Bootyville around 4. Bootyville is where riders camp out over the course of
the next 24 hours. They may have had this last year and I just wasn’t aware of
it, they have a gear drop area. I pull into the drop off area. There are
volunteers to help you unload. I tell them I need to give them a tip. The 2
teenagers laugh at me and tell me I’m doing the real work I’m riding. The TIFL
tent is easy to spot, it’s bright pink. I set my chair up and take a break and
drink some ice cold water. A sister came ready this year. Packed the big cooler
with all kinds of hydrating beverages. I started off with 2 bags of ice when I left
Raleigh. By the time I get to Charlotte I’m down to ¼ of a bag of ice still
intact. The heat is on!! I see my buddy Kristina Blake. She drove down from Pennsylvania
with her cousin. Her husband Todd is also riding this year as well. That is true commitment right there. Right after I pull in,
our booty coordinator Laurie Certo pulls in right in front making another drop
off of stuff. After I cool off, I go park my car. Then head back over to my
home for the next day.
The
ride officially starts at 7pm. I opt to go shower before heading out. Did I mention
there is a full shower facility in the Levine center that is at our disposal.
SWEET!! Guess who headed to the locker room without her towel, this chick. I improvised.
I have learned from last year to not go out at the beginning because it is a
mosh pit of riders. Angela Stevenson and I decide to go out about 7:20pm. Angela and I head
out. My personal goal is 25 miles. My plan of attack was to do 3 loops at a
time. That would be 9 miles. I’m on the booty loop. I remember that it starts
off downhill. I’m like this is how I like to ride. Downhill is my sweet spot of
cycling. Then there is the sharp right turn. There is a party tent to my left
with a DJ. The crowd support is awesome. The neighbors are so encouraging. I
start to notice a slight incline. Then I remember there is a hill coming up.
Last year I wasn’t ready for this hill and was having technical difficulties
with my gears. I was ready this time. I was already in my lowest gear ready to
take on THE HILL. I pedal and pedal through this hill. I don’t stop. I am
sweating from the humidity like a sinner in church. I made it to the top.
HALLEJUAH!! I can feel how dry my throat is, not good. I am on flat surface, I attempt
the unimaginable. I reach for my water bottle and lo and behold I reach it,
drink some water and by a straight miracle from God I was able to put the
bottle back in its holder. This is a huge feat. Go me Go me!!! I make the last
right turn onto the loop and head to the end. I’m thinking I can do another
loop. I keep going and make my 2nd loop. I’m thinking to myself I didn’t
even do this last year. I make it up THE HILL again. I reach for water again. I’m
checking out the neighborhood. These folks are partying it up. I’m slightly
hating because I wish I was out there chilling with a food truck or margaritas.
There is a car that passes me and i hear my name. It's a boatload of my Charlotte sisters, Donna Rubin, Wendy Reid, Lora Leach Braun and her daughter and 1 other lady who's name escapes me. That encouragement was just what i needed. After I make the right turn and head back to the finish, my lower back tells me
that I should go ahead and make my exit. I head to the exit. I check RunKeeper
and see I am short of 6 miles. I ride around the parking lot to make it an even
6 miles. I head back to our spot. 2 loops done. Now it’s time to eat. Did I mention Angela and I smelled the grill as we headed out and it was hard to dismiss the
smell and go for a ride. I’m back in the tent drinking water. Hydration is so
necessary. I head over to dinner with some of my Charlotte sisters. Dinner is
delicious. Hamburger, pasta salad and ice cold coca-cola and cookies. After dinner,
I head back over to the tent. I rest up for a bit. Then I head back out for my 2nd
round. I have come to the conclusion that 2 loops really work for me. I get 2
more loops in. I am currently at 4 loops which puts me at 12 miles. I’m really
close to being at the halfway point of my goal. I have doubled last year total
mileage. Lazy Johanna was at booty last year. I just enjoyed the event and wasn’t
really interested in any goal. I do know I was hydrating properly because I was
peeing like a person with a weak bladder. Kristina told me that is a good sign.
That means that I am drinking enough fluids. If you are not peeing then you
should be worried. Good to know. I think I knew that because I pretty much live in
my bathroom at home.
There
is a midnight pizza party. We all head over to the pizza party. As I have
burned some calories I devour the 2 slices of pizza that we are told to is the
initial serving. Then you can come back for me. After eating the 2 slices I didn’t
even think about coming back for more. I head back to the tent to let my food
settle. I decide to go back out for another round. Can you believe it’s still
hot as Hades at 1am? Mother nature must be fighting with Bae again. At this
point it is pitch black on the loop, I have my lights on full blast. There are
some serious dark pockets out there. As I am riding there are still some
spectators on the course. I’m like do these folks don’t go to bed around here. As
I pedal up the hill, there are some dark spots and my paranoid self thinks what
if someone jumps out at me. I’ve seen way too many horror movies. I finish my 3rd
round. I am now at 18 miles. I’ve done 3
times the distance I did last year. I come back to the tent. I hydrate a little. It’s about
2:30am. I'm so excited that I have biked 18 miles that i decided to call my #1 fan tall drink. He has told me that he will give up his sleep if needed to help me through the loops. Shockingly he is awake when i call him, i tell him I'm at 18 miles. Then i can hear the sleep in his voice. He tells me when i talk to him later in the morning he wants to hear really good news. I tell him you will. I go lay down on my air mattress. I forgot the blanket in my trunk. I
am so not going to get it at this hour. I improvise and use my towel. I’m tossing
and turning on my air mattress. My roommate in the Taj Mahal tent (Thanks Sandra Asher) is the lovely
Dawn Davis Calhoun. She’s already out like a fat kid in dodge ball. I finally
pass out. I wake up in what seems like 5 minutes later. I hear Kristina say she’s
going to get 1 more loop in before the sun comes up. I attempt to lift up off
the air mattress. If you could have seen me get off that thing you would have
died laughing it was so funny. I finally get to my feet feeling like I just
drank all night. I get my socks and clips on. I load up my bottles. I have 7
miles left to goal. Its nice out. Temperature has finally cooled off some. I
knock these 2 loops out. There are a lot of runners out on the loop on the
sidewalk. I see a few BGR ladies I’m assuming. They yell you “go get it sister
girl” I smile back. I finish round 4. I’m under 25 miles. I roll past the
ladies and tell them I have 1 mile to go and it’s way too much to go get
another loop in, I’m just going to ride around the area. I ride up and down the
street and through the expo area and back in the parking lot. RunKeeper and my CatEye are not seeing eye to eye. CatEye is off my .22 miles. I keep riding
until the CatEye hits 25 miles. When it does I start to swell up a little
because I have met my goal. I can go buy the mileage sticker and add it to the
collection. I head back to the tent. I can now go eat breakfast. My work here
is done. Later booty, Jo is done!!
