This is the true post of Little 500 riders picked to have their lives surrounding America's Greatest College Weekend posted to the web. To find out what happens when the IDS stops just reporting and starts getting real...check here for The Real Ride -- Little 500 style.
As impossible as it is to imagine, the 61st Running of the Men's Little 500 is less than five days away. Weeks upon weeks of long hours in the saddle, around the weight room and on the yoga mats have culminated in what, for many, will hopefully be one of the greatest days of their lives. The Spring Series Events are in the books, and now, the focus shifts to last-minute preparations.
ITTs were a bit of a disappointment. For those of you not familiar with the event, four riders start in the four corners of the track and do four laps as fast as they possibly can. No tactics or teammates -- just you against the clock. After placing ninth last year and having Eric Young in front of me, I was hoping to crack the top 5, but just wasn't feeling it and ended up 15th.
Miss 'N Out, the exact opposite of ITTs, continued the frustration for me. Whereas ITTs are about pure speed, tactics and positioning are key with Miss 'n Out. Heats start off with six to nine riders, and each lap the last rider across the line is eliminated. I was a broken chain away from the final round last year, so being eliminated in the quarterfinals was not what I was expecting in the slightest.
An all-around unsuccessful Spring Series wrapped up on Saturday with Team Pursuit, my favorite event of the three. A 15-lap team trial, where the time of your team's third rider becomes your time. This discipline requires you to maintain complete focus for a full nine-plus minutes. Without unwavering trust of your teammates and the ability to push yourself farther than you thought possible, it's impossible to have success. We ended up fifth, a much better performance than last year, but I knew we left a little out there.
And now, here we are, faced with the reality of race week. For riders, this week seems to never end. Seeing and hearing about all of the concerts and outrageous social events taking place makes it extremely difficult to remember that there actually is a bike race on Saturday. With all the chaos constantly surrounding us, finding the motivation to strategize and watch race tape becomes more difficult than ever. It takes a team effort to realize just how close the finish line is, and to keep pushing the pedals all the way to the end.
All that being said, race day (and the week that follows...) makes all the sacrifice worthwhile. No one will remember some random Spring Series Event or an off day on the bike, but you never forget the Little 500. All the thoughts and memories of months that have absolutely flown by culminate in a crescendo of emotion that engulfs you and 131 other riders, leaving a permanent impact on you. Even better, with an ominous weather forecast looming, there is no doubt in my mind that Saturday's race is going to be one for the ages.
Get ready, B-town, the Little 500 is upon us.
Eric Anderson is a junior majoring in Finance and Economic Consulting. He is in his second year riding for Beta Theta Pi. Beta finished fifth in the 2010 race. Beta qualified seventh with a time of 2:29.27 for the 61st running of the men's Little 500.
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