The Afterglow...

It is an incredible feeling to plan, execute and successfully complete an event. Brian and I managed to facilitate the first Angkor International Bike Race, complete the race on ONE bike, then run a half marathon the next day and dance all night in celebration. Let me explain...

23 Cambodian university students arrived on Thursday from Battambang to help us out. They were amazing...so energetic, loving, honest. We were instant friends. They are part of our youth fellowship project which aims to enable young Cambodians to learn about social change in the local context. Now, there are tons of ex-pat NGO workers and not enough Cambodians are in positions of leadership for directing civil society's growth. I really felt that the crew of 23 were among the future thinkers and leaders of Cambodia. They helped survey the race course, set up and prepare.

The participants started to arrive Friday morning. It was a hectic day of planning. My biggest mistake was in not delegating the registration job so I was stuck at the table all day in the schmaltzy, enormous City Angkor Hotel. It was daunting to enter and draining to stay all day. But it finished up and Brian and I raced over to the pre-party at the elegant Cafe Indochine, where many of our guests were already schmoozing. My director Todd was sick so the task of emceeing the party fell on me. I was nervous talking to all these wealthy donors and Cambodian people but it went all right. We were happy that our first event had gone well, went home and crashed.

The next morning we awoke at 4. We were supposed to go straight to Angkor with all the volunteers, but their bus driver never showed. We all made it out to the temples by 5, but as it turns out that was way too late for setting up a 6:30 ride. As the bikers took off, a truck full of volunteers, sign posts and water jugs was racing just ahead of the riders to set up the course! Luckily no one noticed and we pulled it off. However, I missed all this because I was setting up, lost somewhere in the middle of the Angkor complex with the sun rising, dreading the fact that I was missing the glorious start to the event I had helped plan for so many months. I cried on the backseat of a moto as the driver helplessly sped through the jungle, desperately trying to find the starting line. I got their ten minutes after the race started, and I was crushed. Luckily it turned out that Brian and a few other of our people also had to miss the start, which made me feel a lot better. There was a bike waiting for me and I sped off.

About 10k into the course, in the middle of a farmers' village, Brian caught up to me. There was a bike waiting for him up ahead so I waited for him to embark. He pedaled for no more than 10 seconds before his chain snapped in half! We said, to hell with it. He mounted my bike and I hopped up on the handlebars and we completed the entire 25 mile course this way! The whole time, locals cheered and doubled over, hysterical to see two enormous white people in neon yellow lycra jerseys on a single bike.

We were elated to hear the participants say afterward that the race was "magical" "perfect" "the best weekend of my life." Many vowed to return next year. We celebrated afterward and the youth volunteers got to know the riders. It was great to see the beneficiaries and donors of our organization mingling and connecting, forging bonds of common understanding.

The next morning was the run. As we stoof at the starting line with 350 people from 25 countries, I almost panicked. I'm no runner! What the hell? Brian calmed me down, I entered a calmer state, and took off, still unsure. After the first 5 miles I realized that quitting was not an option - not in the middle of Angkor! It didn't really suck until the last 1.5 miles, when traffic started to build and I navigated between elephants, tour buses, monkeys, dogs, children and unchecked exhaust pipes spewing toxins in my winded face. I was amazed to finish - the only downside was the excruciating leg pain for 2 days afterward, which made it difficult to FINALLY explore Angkor Wat after 11 days spent on its outskirts!

The weekend was truly magical. I hope we do it again next year...