Ode to Jake

This past weekend was the Lotoja bike race. If any of you don't know what this is, its a bike race that starts in Logan and ends in Teton Village at Jackson Hole. It's incredible to see 1,000 bikers ride 206 miles and can be pretty emotional to watch. This was Jakes 4th year attempting such an enormous accomplishment...He finished the past 3 years and did VERY well!

Saturay morning Jake was ready at the start line with his game face on. He'd been carb loading, drinking lots of water and trying to get the sleep he needed. I knew how much hard work and motivation he had put into his training throughout the summer. Preparing for such a long ride takes many hours of sweat and pain. I knew he was ready, I just couldn't help getting butterflies in my stomach for him because I knew the enormous task that he was about to take on.

I was part of Jake's support crew, along with his family, to meet him at the feedzones and provide him with the water and nutrients he needed, along with lots of cheering. His family is such a great support and we really appreciate them! We first met him in Montpelier and he was looking strong, things were going well.

Our next stop was Afton. We finally got there and were anxiously awaiting his arrival. We knew he should be coming any minute. Then I got a phone call from a lady..."is this Kristin, I need you to come back to the neutral feed zone 4, your rider is dropping out of the race." My heart immediately dropped into my stomach. I've never been so worried in my life. You have to understand that Jake is NOT a quitter. He has more motivation, determination and mental toughness than anybody I've ever met in my entire life. He can keep pushing through the pain when it is too much for everyone else. I admire him soooo much for these attributes and have always looked up to him for these qualities. Needless to say, I was very worried about him because I knew something must be really wrong. We immediately headed back to the neutral feed zone, which by the way was the LONGEST drive of my life, even though it was only like 30 minutes! We pulled up and I saw Jake sitting there wrapped up in a blanket. I was relieved to see that he hadn't been in a crash and injured that way, but still very worried. It was hard to see the disappointment and heart break in his face. He then explained to us how he'd been puking for the past hour and a half and still couldn't keep even a sip of water down. It all started with some bad, nasty water I guess. He was in rough shape being extremely dehydrated with nothing in him while exerting that much energy (he'd ridden about 100 miles). I just wished so bad that I could take it from him! We went to the motel to try to help Jake recover and regain his strength.

The neat thing about this year is that Jake's Uncle Mike also entered to ride Lotoja. This is amazing in and of itself becuase Mike had his hip replaced just a few years ago. We were excited to get to see him ride his first Lotoja after spending so much time training.

When Mike came into Montpelier he reported he had been in a crash just out of Preston, but that he didn't remember much about it. He and his helmet were pretty beat up which made us worried. He kept pushing on even though he was hurting from the injuries. About 8 miles from the finish line Mike couldn't see anything. His vision had slowly been decreasing since Afton, so he had been riding with limited vision for quite some time. He wanted to finish so bad and was so determined to do so. He was requesting somebody to ride with him to get him across the finish line, but he couldn't even see the road in front of him. Everyone was really concerned for his safety (but of course Mike was more concerned about the safety of those trying to help him and the other riders) and so he decided he better go to the hospital. It was such a blessing to find out (after an I.V., blood tests and catscan) that everything was okay, and that he would regain his vision, he was just experiencing symptoms from his earlier crash. Mike's message to everyone..."Thats why you wear a helmet!"

You can tell Mike is related to Jake because they both have this motivation and drive that I don't know where it comes from! We are so proud of Mike for working so hard. He is definitely a Lotoja finisher in our book, even if the records don't show it... And for the record, he rode from his house in Providence that morning to the start line in Logan, so he most likely rode over and beyond the 206 miles! Way to go Mike, you are amazing and we hope you recover quickly!

This is a great picture of our 2 hero's! Way to go you guys! We couldn't be prouder of you!

Jake: I just want you to know that you are my all-time hero and the love of my life. I'm so proud of you for your many accomplishments and hard work in EVERYTHING you do! I could never put into words how amazing you are. I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I want you to know I will always be here supporting you and cheering you on in anything you decide to do. You will always be #1 to me no matter what the race results show. You are the best husband ever. I love you more than you will ever know!