Elicit Substance

Well, it's been awhile.
Lemme tell you about the Hotter 'n Hell Hundred on Saturday, the 25th, by telling a story that happened the next day.

On Sunday, sister decided to make lasagna from scratch. She cooked up the pasta, removed sausage from its casings and browned it. She prepared 3 kinds of cheese. She sliced mushrooms, made a marinara, and at my request, rinsed, dried, and chopped some spinach. She carefully layered it and put it in the refrigerator with the intention of baking it right before dinner.

My cousin came over for a visit. At one point, my sister got up, turned on the oven and went over to the fridge and picked up the pan of lasagna whereupon she dropped it all on the floor. It was a beautiful mess that couldn't be salvaged. She was mortified. I knew exactly how she felt.

That is the perfect metaphor for my ride as I spent the last year hour training hour after hour, building on miles, adding in more training, trying to peak at the right time, only to have the whole thing fall apart within 30 miles or so of the starting line. I had a toe injury that wouldn't heal in time and I'm guessing that the added stress and pain was playing with my head. I do know that by the end of my ride and decision to finally pack it in, it was 94 degrees outside and I was chilled. I had on arm cooler sleeves and didn't want to pull them up because I was afraid it would make me colder. That is the kind of body signal I am compelled to listen to. I felt bad that I had to bail on my riding buddy, Roy from Pedal Pushers, but I knew I wasn't going to get past that chill by "riding through it."

So that was it. I trained. I rode. I failed. The End.

My sister regrouped and made a new lasagna the next day. I don't know if I'll see the window of opportunity open for redemption on this ride again but I'm not willing to face that yet. How annoying.

The HH100 was my one and only event this year so... back to the drawing board.