This is Monday a week before my ride*. I’m in the trying to do everything mode. Pack everything mode (“you never know”). Take care of everything mode. Did I train enough, pack enough, what about my bike (“what’s that noise?”), what about the temp (snow, rain, hot, cold …)? What … what … what???
I think this is natural. This last month I’ve been seeing a lot of graduation parents and people getting married and people having babies. Quint Studer used to talk about change and how with the first kid - the parents are so incredibly careful with the first bath. Lock the doors, turn off the phones, crank up the temp in the house and then wash ever-so-carefully the baby making sure you cradle the head appropriately. By the fourth kid, you just hose it off before going in the house.
Anticipation is normal. Anxiety is common. For the most part, things will go (maybe not exactly) as planned and deviations, if any, will make for good stories. This ride has a Facebook page where the diehards have been posting snow pictures and talking smack - which scares me. Over the weekend though, riders of varying levels of skill have been posting their fears and worries. And some are old and have medical issues. Whew!! (For the record, I used to always finish towards the back of the herd when I ran 5 and 10Ks … but I’d always look at who I could beat.) This gives me comfort. Cozying up to the infirm is my superpower.
So hopefully I will see all of you when I get back. I will have stories and less anxiety. Ride on!
*Ride the Rockies - 500 mile ride up and down mountains in Colorado. I’m officially insane.
