24 Hours of Sedition: The Details

One week from today, we'll be almost 10 hours in. Hopefully it'll be a little warmer then than it is right now. But it might not be, godforsaken land that we live in. There is no backup plan. The race is on, no matter what. They didn't have a cold weather contingency plan in 1869 and neither do we.

The general structure will be basically the same as last year. Just to make it confusing, we will once again be running two races simultaneously. A solo race and a two-person team race. You can win both. Lose both. Win one and lose one. Or neither. You might even end up racing against your teammate. It'll all become clear in due course. Or it won't. Teams will be determined by a random draw just prior to the start of the race. It's not a relay, though. Team members can both be on the course at the same time. Your team results are the total number of laps completed by the two team members combined. The solo race is the one that counts for the Nordic Cross series.

Race HQ--hereafter known as Sedition Central--is, once again, my house. The course, however, is entirely different. This year we head west toward the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. We'll pass the much discussed remnants of Upper Fort Garry where the Rebellion went down. We'll also pass a commemorative statue of Louis or two and pay a visit to the grave site. There will be some riverbank singletrack, lots of snow packed walking trail, and a good amount of frozen river riding, not to mention a few cx-style run-ups. Other than the two blocks from my place to the river and a little bit on Cornish, it's all off-road.

There will also be an educational component, organized by the poosher and his comrade, Colin. Yes, it's part of the race. This is Nordic Cross. It's not just about riding your bike. In fact, sometimes it's not about riding your bike at all, as the Duker can attest. In any case, be warned that you will have to do some reading. It won't be that hard though. And there are pictures.

The race begins at 10am. Sharp. The course will not be marked, so the first lap is a controlled start. Coffee and cinnamon buns commence at 9am. Draw for teams happens at 9:30. You are more than welcome to drop off your stuff on Saturday if you like.

Bring food and beverage for yourself. If you run out, or are too lazy to plan ahead, there is a Sal's right on the course. There are also plenty of convenience stores close by. If you’d like to bring something for everyone to share, that wouldn’t be refused. Maybe Alberto will bring some bread. Kitchen appliances will be available. We will try to clear out the fridge as much as possible, but fridge space will no doubt be rather limited.

So long as it's not closed for the holiday, Monday morning will involve a mandatory Sal's lap.

There will, of course, be a dog-fest at some point. Maybe this year it will be outside around the fire. But last year's microwave dogfest was a classic. Bring dogs and buns.

There will also be a Big Lebowski screening again. Maybe there will actually be people awake and watching by the end. Maybe not.

If you are planning to catch some sleep at any point, bring whatever you need to facilitate that.

The president will be hitting up Orest and Brewmaster Dave for some prizes.

Some indication of who is planning to participate would be much appreciated. Drop a comment below. It's really not that difficult.

Any further details will be sorted out at the F&H on Tuesday Night. If not, then we'll figure things out at some point during the race itself. Or at least we'll kill a couple of hours talking about it. If you need more clarity than that, then you're probably beyond help. At the very least, you might want to consider looking for someone else to ride with. The FGBC flies by the seat of its collective pants. We are, after all, exactly what we are.

OTT: Gillian Welch, Only One and Only