submitted by Cassie Schumacher:

Great race day at Calvin’s Challenge yesterday. It was an amazingly diverse crowd with great weather. Last year I made my own non-drafting category. I gave in to peer pressure and drafted a little this year. I did not want to explain to people for the second year in a row that my numbers were lower because I raced non-draft. Ended up with 232 miles in 12 hours. In true Jerry fashion on Friday when I saw him he told me, “go kill it!” I did my best.

Race Highlights
I did not get to the line-up earlier enough so I ended up in the middle. Turns out I was right behind Charles, a young disabled veteran, an amputee at the right shoulder. There were at least 10 guys from the Paralyzed Veterans racing team. Charles was a bad ass on the bike but because he did not have the ability to go aro he sucked up the wind like a sail. He and I worked together for the first 30 miles and when the 3rd group caught us I asked him if he would not mind if I took off and caught him at the end. He told me to go, I did. By this time we were at the back of a group of about 25-30 people. I laid it down and started a break-a-way. The 2nd group was in my sights. I was starting to slow down after a while and I heard shifting behind me; I was not sure how many people followed. I called back that I could use a little help making it to the next group, Marie came up. She was the only one who was holding my wheel. It was awesome, like old times. We got the 2nd group and never got caught by the 3rd group. After the first 50 mile loop things really got spread out and there was not much drafting. I had a awesome time the entire day and meet some really great people.

The Podium
I can’t say how proud I am of Marie. Not only did she take 1st Place in her age group, she set the AG record. I took 2nd in my age group and 2nd overall female. I told the race director again that they really need to add a non- drafting category. I am going to keep at it until he finally gets tired of me asking.