Tomorrow I hope to ride a century, 100 miles through the rolling hills of Marion County. I’ll get up around 4:30am, be on the road by 5am to Salem, and I’m hoping to be on my bike around 6am. We’ll see. I don’t feel ready. I don’t feel rested. I’m nervous and somewhat scared. Why do this to myself? I’m not sure.
Part of it is doing something I don’t know whether I can do. Sure, last summer I completed 2 centuries. Sure, I’ve been riding long rides this spring. Part of the reason is that I love long rides. Zoning out to the rhythm of my own legs, not having to worry about getting lost because so many people have worked so hard to make the turns noticeable. And then there’s the scenery, usually stunning. Tomorrow’s course has some really steep hills, mostly in the beginning. We’ll see.
I’ve gotten to the place in life where walking or taking my time doesn’t seem criminal, at least when I’m riding by myself. When riding with others, I can’t stand the idea of holding them back, slowing them down. What’s up with that? Few people really mind. So much of sports is the mind.
Well, wish me luck. I’m shooting for 100 miles in 8 hours. We’ll see.