Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

Every year in April, Indiana University hosts an amazing collegiate bike race — the Little 500. Modeled after the Indy 500 motor race, 33 men’s and 33 women’s teams of 4 people each race single-speed bikes around a cinder running track. They train all year for this and take it very seriously. 25,000 people show up to watch the races. It’s a spectacle.

On the Thursday preceding the race, MBA students at the Kelley School of Business host the “LITTLE Little 500” — a tricycle race in which four-person teams of MBA students race around the quad outside Kelley.

Every year, the faculty tries to enter a team in the “LITTLE Little 500.”

When I was asked to be part of the team this year, I knew at the time I should have said “hard no” as racing a tricycle comes with personal injury risks, and I am in peak Comrades training.

BUT, I did not say no.

Therefore, on April 24, 2025, I found myself racing around the Kelley Quad on a tricycle. The photos below prove it (we even made it to the final).

At the time, it all seemed very innocent, but three hours later, I couldn’t move. My lower back went into spasm, I was in agony, and just moving from one side of a room to the other was a herculean and painful task.

That night, I went to bed wondering if I had just crushed my Comrades’ dream.

Luckily, 18 hours later, my back started to ease up. The pain started to subside, and I was able to move again. By Sunday, I could run again.

It meant that I missed out on my very long training run this past weekend. I will now do it next weekend at the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati.

Key lesson: No tricycle races as part of Comrades prep.