Manic Monday

By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) Back in the mid 1980s there was a group called the Bangles that had a hit song called, “Just another manic Monday”. One of the two lead singers, Susanna Hoffs, sang the chorus line that went like this. “It's just another manic Monday-I wish it was Sunday 'Cause that's my fun day-My I don't have to run day-It's just another manic Monday. If you replace run day with ride day and you have how I felt today. I wanted to sleep in and was almost willing to roll over and go back to sleep when I noticed it was colder today than Friday. Still I got up, had breakfast, got dressed with arm and leg warmers and tried to pour a hot cup of coffee. The problem was my coffee pot took that very moment to give up the ghost and I stood there for at least two minutes just staring at it. I decided to leave for the parking lot early and get coffee there. Just another manic Monday. It was cold to me as I headed down Palm, cut over to Lyon and got to Florida. I pulled up to Burger King to see Digger inside so I went in to order coffee. I was wearing one of my world Jerseys representing England and at first I thought they had looked at the Jersey and gave me tea, I could see through the coffee. But they don’t server tea so I was stuck with weak coffee and cream. Did I just hear Susanna Huffs voice in my head?. While Digger and I stood outside trying to absorb some warmth from the sun a new rider Martin arrived. We introduced ourselves and started telling stories till Highlander and Tax Man arrived. For a while that looked like all we were going to get and then Sasquatch rode up and we had at least five riders. As we headed out onto the street I noticed the wind was coming from the south west, not what I expected. I knew I would be fighting a head wind at least half of the ride. There it was again, the sound of the Bangles in the background.

I got us to Acacia and over to Kirby where we turned south and Highlander pulled up next to me to chat. As we talked and turned onto Cypress we were joined by a bit more wind. No big thing I thought because normally my legs are rested for Monday rides. It seems as if this wasn’t the case for today because I just couldn’t get my legs warmed up even as I pulled the group to Johnston and the light at Sanderson. I then took us south towards Mustang and as we passed Wally World Sasquatch indicated he was going to take a run at the segment between Mustang and Domenigoni. As he jumped at Mustang martin went with him and I kept the pace for the group and we were pretty much right behind then at the light. We had also picked up Prosecutor before we headed west. As we headed west I once again took the lead and pulled most of the way to Warren before giving up the lead. I was back in third when we crossed over the dry wash and when I looked back I could see that Digger and Tax Man had been dropped and couldn’t close before we crossed Winchester. I pulled over behind Highlander and we waited while Prosecutor took Sasquatch and Martin to the saddle. I moved to the front on the climb and the rest of us joined them a few minutes later. As we regrouped my legs were still complaining from the cold and I could just hear Susanna’s voice in my head.

We dropped off of the hill and headed for the light at Lindenburger. Truthfully I wasn’t really looking forward to making the turn on Menifee. Martin could climb like a fighter plane and Prosecutor was about as fast. Sasquatch has been pushing on every climb for weeks and we had Revival to look forward to. As we passed the park and headed for Holland Sasquatch pulled up next to me and started talking about all of the times we had raced up the hill together. I knew he was thinking about attacking as we crossed Holland and as we got close to the climb Prosecutor took off followed by Martin. I got up to chase but I was way under geared and spun out pretty quickly. But I was far enough ahead of Sasquatch that I got to the top before he could catch me. Once again we regrouped and got ready to head towards Scott. But I could still hear that song In my head as we rolled towards Garbani.

Sasquatch moved to the front pretty quickly and I moved up to draft him to Scott. He kept the pressure up on the rise and dropped everyone but me. We made it to Scott before Martin caught up to us and we were close to Antelope before the rest of the group was even close. I got up next to Sasquatch and told him to head to Haun and we would wait for everyone t catch up before heading north for the first time with the wind to our back. Once we got to Haun we pulled over and Highlander informed me he wasn’t going to turn on Holland but rather was heading for Newport and then up to Murrieta. Prosecutor decided to cut the ride short and head home on Newport himself. The route isn’t cut in stone so it was no problem for me and I got ready for the pull to Holland. For the first time today I didn’t hear the song.

We split up at Holland with Sasquatch, Martin and me heading west towards Murrieta and the Holland climb while Highlander, Tax Man and Digger headed to Newport. As my group turned west I pulled past Bradley and picked up the pace to start the climb. As I kicked it up Martin stayed right on my wheel and Sasquatch was right behind us. I jumped on it once and Martin jumped with me with Sasquatch right behind still. The second attack dropped Sasquatch. He caught back up on the downhill and pulled around heading back toward Newport. I got back in front on the last downhill and made it to the light in time to see the other three riders coming west on Newport. We all ended up stopping at the Chevron Station before getting ready to head to McCall and the last climbing challenge for the day. As we headed north there was still no song in the back of my head. But as we turned on McCall it started to come back. We made short work of Murrieta to Bradley and Sasquatch led us over the freeway and past the Valero. As we headed for the stop light it was Sasquatch, me, Highlander and Martin. It stayed that way till we past the next light at Highpoint where Sasquatch started to make a run of it. I waited till he down shifted and jumped out and left sasquatch and Highlander but couldn’t shake Martin. Martin and I made it to the false flat where Sasquatch separated himself from Highlander and chased after us. We had too much lead however and made it over the top before he did with my legs screaming. What was I hearing? “Wish it were Sunday”? We dropped off of the hill and headed to Heritage and then Simpson with as you might have guessed a swirling unpredictable wind. It sure wasn’t at our back. We had to work together to fight our way to Winchester before heading north once more with only our second wind t our back segment. I pulled most of the way back to Winchester Farms except where Sasquatch tried to sprint by me but he started too early and I had a chance to catch his wheel and get the lead back before the parking lot. No matter what the song was saying it was still my ride day and we started back out onto Stowe after Digger had left. He was well on his way to California before we got started and he made it to the corned 150 yards in front of us. Sasquatch and Martin decided to take advantage of the tail wind and try for a Segment PR heading to Stetson. We caught them and Digger at the airport but Digger turned at Cawston and we went to Sanderson. Once we were headed North we got caught at the light on Johnston just long enough for Digger to come off of Wentworth and the chase was on. Tax Man started the chase and Highlander kicked it up a notch. I sprinted to the front and caught Digger about 200 yards before Lowes and the turn around the building.

Tax Man rolled around Lowes first and out onto Acacia heading east towards Kirby. We got caught at the light on Kirby and had to stop. My legs were complaining and the Bangles were blaring in my sub conscience as we headed to Gilmore and back to Burger King. Sasquatch and Martin were planning on heading to the east end of town together and I had to stop and pay for some MTB pedals before going home for lunch and then out shopping for a new coffee pot. By 4:30 I was finally ready to settle down in my recliner and download some pictures and maybe just look up the Bangles on the web.