I'm ready - I'm ready for the ride, I'm ready for the camaraderie, I'm ready for the support of LAF, I'm ready for the excitement. I'm also extremely torn. I know I can ride 60 miles. Not a problem. Therefore I know that an added 10 isn't an issue at all. The elevation I'm not so sure about. That is going to be one brutal climb at approx. mile 43. But what if it's not as bad as I'm thinking? What if adrenaline and working with a peloton pulls me right over that hill? I want to be pushed. I want to be challenged. I dont want to get to the finish and have another 30 miles of gas in the tank. However, if you take a look below, that added 30 miles is also over an added 1,000 feet of elevation. That could be BRUTAL. And it could be REALLY BRUTAL if I were to head out toward Tiger Mountain, realize I couldnt do that again at mile 70 and then have to take on Montreux right afterward from hopping back to the 70-mile route.
I'm going to be riding with some other guys who are starting with the 100-mile pack because then we will be in front of the bigger groups and can decide at the split. But I need to make a rational decision (especially since Sarah wants me to promise I'll only do the 70-mile) because otherwise there is a good chance that my masulinity and testosterone will take on the challenge. But is that necessarily a bad thing? Look at the challenge some of these other riders are taking. I'm 2 months from treatment. Some of the other riders are in the middle of chemo. One of our CCC members from the east coast did the 100-mile when he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer and he had no testosterone in his body based on his treatment. If he can do it, can't I?
Tomorrow Sarah and I go down for packet pick up from 8:15-1:15. I saw that they were short on volunteers and really want to be a bigger part of this event so I think it will be nice to do that. Claire is also going to join us and I can't tell you how awesome it is to me to see how much she has embraced this event! Then back to play with Nikki for a while, and because of the amount of money that we (technically I but you all did the most work), Sarah and I are invited to a special fundraising appreciation dinner Saturday night. It should be a really nice and special night.
Sunday is the ride. I was really bummed out when the chance of precipitation went from 0% on Monday to 10% on Wednesday and now to 50%. Today I went out and bought myself a rain coat in hopes that the typical would be the case. If you are prepared, you dont need it. If you aren't prepared, you sure wish you were. Well it's worked a bit. The chance of precipitation for the day is down to 20%. Still higher than I wanted when I saw it on Wednesday but I guess it follows the last year of my life. Sarah and I had the wind completely blown from our sails when we thought I had Stage 1 cancer and found out it might be Stage 4. When I got the email to let me know it wasn't in the bone marrow and it was only Stage 3, I still remember jumping, smiling, and being so excited in our house. Everything is based on your overall frame of reference.
Either way it will be a great ride. Like Sarah's dad just said - it might rain but then the sun might come out just to give us some "Rainbow Weather." Everything needs to be in perspective. That is the biggest thing that the last year has taught me.
And now I'm going to head home to play with my puppy so that later on in the night my perspective can be from the seat of my bike :-).
Below are the routes that I'm considering for Sunday (99% sure it will be the 70-mile, but it would be pretty damn awesome to cross the finish after the full century).
Atta boy AJ! We are so proud of you for beating cancer, but for also making some good come it as well. As someone who has done some bike rides, make sure you take time to smell the roses along the way. I will be asking you about them after your ride.
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