by Jess Evans
May 27, 2019
For each adventure race, there are moments that will stay with me forever. Those moments may be when something funny happened, when something no so funny happened, or when things get super tough. Moments that often stay with me from a race are when we take time out to get a bite to eat at a restaurant or gas station and interact with the public.
My earliest restaurant moment was when I raced the USARA Championship Race in Maryland in 2014. The race was promising to be wet and cold. The rain had already started coming down in sheets after 10 hours on the course. While passing a Burger King, the suggestion was made for us to stop, dry up a little, and get a burger. It was a very uplifting moment, but I am not so sure the staff appreciated these three muddy, wet racers walking into the restaurant to order food. We had a great time enjoying our food, talking, and dripping all over the floor and chairs.
Since that time, I have entered restaurants ready for a respite looking quite horrific, but delighted they did not kick us out. In the ARWS Championship race in 2017, we found this great little place to eat in Pinedale, WY. It was day three, and we were in last place. Stopping to eat in a lovely outdoor café and talking to local patrons melted our worries away. Also my ice coffee was heavenly. In the Untamed New England race of 2018, we pulled up to a restaurant and bar somewhere in the northeast. I remember asking the waitress what state we were in. She laughed saying she had never heard that question before. Remarkably, I was serious. Owen slumped on the floor, he was unwell at this point in the race, and Jason and Robert were eagerly reviewing the list of food on the menu. To my relief, they did not kick us out, but I would not have blamed them if they had. We looked and smelt like we had been in the woods for days.
When racing and bike packing, it lifts my spirits to stop and talk to anyone curious enough to ask what we are doing. People are shocked and fascinated to learn how many miles we have traveled and where we hope to end up. They also marvel at our bikes and equipment. A man at the Grand Tetons wondered how I was riding a lefty bike without falling over. I lied and said it took some practice. I had some kids admiring my Cannondale Lefty at an Albertson’s in southern California. Adventures like these are so much fun, and getting to stop at a restaurant or grocery store adds to my enjoyment and opens a new world to non-racing folks.
