In Austin, Memorial Day brings memories of the terrible flood in 1981 which killed 13 people and caused $36 million in damage.
This year fears of a repeat came when forecasters announced that they expected 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms from a very slow moving system on Saturday, 90% on Sunday and 90% on Monday. The already saturated soil was expected to add to the misery. Regardless, droves of athletes (apprx. 2,500) came to participate in the 2007 Capitol of Texas Triathlon.
We were planning on setting up at the expo on Saturday at noon. I got up early to do my morning ride but the forecast was not looking good. Lots of scattered showers all around. I decided to forego the ride and save my energy for setting up. Jack and Adam's Bicycle Sports was also going to have an event that day. Desiree Ficker who happens to be an Austinite was going to do a signing at the shop. I was invited by Jack to set up there. After saving a spot at J&A I was off to set up at the expo with Marcin. The expo was really small for the amount of people who were expected to be there, maybe 20 in all.
We were fortunate enough that all the scattered showers danced around us and not on us. The signing went off without a hitch and we set Desiree up with some of our dimpled water bottles and chip straps. She loves them!
Sunday came and the expo opened. We were slammed from the start. I think we broke our sales record from last year of 20 bags. Down the street, Marcin monitored the Bikini Bike Wash. I'm not sure if it was the weather or not, but even though the event got local news coverage we did not raise as much money as we had hoped. It did rain a bit in the last couple of hours before the close of the expo, but it wasn't bad. It was however just a small taste of what was to come.
Monday morning. Up at 4:30am. Set up a tent at one of our water stops. Marcin met me down at the Start/Finish line to set up our other tent and put up our banners around 5:40am. It began to rain. After about 10 minutes it began to pour. It didn't let up either. We put up banners, hardly able to see what we were doing. People were getting body marked and huddling under the various tents available. The large pvc framework of the start/finish line came crashing down right next to me as I was hanging the last banner. Hmm. That was a close one!
Then I got a text message at about 6:40am that the swim had been cancelled and that they would make a decision about the race starting at all at around 7:30. Marcin and I were due at 6:50am to present the Governor of Texas and the Mayor of Austin with custome wetsuits we had made for them. I searched all around for them but could not find. Is it any surprise? The time of our great publicity event came and went. At 6:55am, a sound from my phone. It's another text message. Cap Tex Tri has been cancelled. A mass exodus ensues. Is everyone's head down to shield their eyes from the rain, or would they all have their heads down anyway? An enormous amount of preparation has just been flushed away. Sad day, Memorial Day.
Custom wetsuits for Mayor Will Wynn and Texas Governor Rick Perry.
City of Austin Seal
