Night of The Living Dead

Let's get one thing straight, you HAVE to destroy the brain of a zombie to actually kill it. Everyone knows that. Except the Norwegians (more about that later). Only 15 brave souls lined up at Mohican State Park lodge for the first ever race in them there parts. Maybe it was the Race @ The Lakes that morning in Akron, or the OVR series that would happen Sunday that was the reason for the low turnout. Maybe it was the temperatures in the low 4os with a blowing 20 mile/hr winds or the course (great course) with 1,200 feet of climbing each lap, that kept people away. Only 15......

I think it might have been the legend of the walking dead in the woods that scared off the racers.

I brought a long sleeve baselayer, a short sleeve one, plus a wind-stopper baselayer. Also shoe covers and wind blocker shoe covers, so I could decide which to wear at the car. I chose to wear them ALL, 3 baselayers, shoe covers and shoe covers over my shoe covers, and two skullcaps. The undead don't worry about the cold - their dead. I was barely live.

Lining up for A WORLD OF PAIN were Brian O!, Chairman Fred, Jaybone, and Pantani. the race was 3 times around, 30+ miles and 3,600 feet of up, up, up. The masters included Titanium him Mighty Scott Young and Mountain goat Mitch.

I won't bore you with the details, I missed the break of 6 riders and spent the day chasing or being chased by Mighty Scott up and down all day. We did though discuss the Norwegian zombie movie DEAD SNOW which is in typical horror flick format: student go to remote cabin and of course those that sneak off for the sexy-sexy are devoured. The killers are Nazi soldiers from WWII that froze to death in the mountains. No explanation as to how they became the living dead. AND here's the film flaw, they were easily killed with chainsaws and machine guns (right, the students found an arsenal), and swords. But none of that killing required destroying zombie brains! Scott argued the Germans were a hybrid zombie/science experiment, that's why they were easily killed. I'm wasn't sure, because the Nazis not only could run (ha! everyone knows Zs are slow leg dragging creatures) but they lusted after gold. Gold! comon' when was accumulation of riches the motivation for the dead?

Brian O! did make the break (with another poseur cat. 5) and hung on for 1st. Scott and I were dropped last time up the 1.5 mile climb by Mitch, and I out-sprinted Scott for 2nd in 50+. Well sprint wasn't the word for it. The finish was up a steep pitch that I couldn't turn in the big chainring. It was more like a slow (maybe undead) crawl to the finish.

onward.