Yet Another Adventure

At 6:30, this evening, I will be on the starting line of the 24 Hours of E-Rock mountain bike race.  I am mostly packed up, with just a few last-minute items to take care of (ice for the cooler, a pound of Mexico Chiapas coffee beans ground for the French Press, etc.).

I'll drop the dogs off in Parker, and pick up Carol and Colin (who will help me set up camp).  Randy is coming down after work to do nighttime babysitting duty, so everything is looking pretty good for a fun time.

 The Daily Grind, in 24-hour raceface.

The bike is in full race mode (I took the saddle bag and extra bottle holder off, and added my big lights), and I have enough food for an army.  The temperatrures are supposed to be a bit warmer (especially at night) than last year.  Hopefully, that means we won't be sitting around camp wrapped in blankets, shivering, as I eat/rest.

I have a different plan for the race, this year.  Last year, I wanted to get 100 miles in before sleeping, and the race became an experiment in sleep-deprivation as much as anything else.  This year, I want to get 120 miles in, but I also want to race until the end of the 24 hours. 

I am planning on getting about 60 miles down, then sleeping for a few hours, before continuing the race.  I am hoping that I can time it so that sleepy-time coincides with the darkest, coldest part of the night.  That should, at least, be a little more fun for Randy!

I feel pretty good about my chances of upping the mileage.  I have a few longer rides under my belt, this year, that I didn't have last year.  Plus, I think a little sleep in the middle of the race will go a long way.

I will try to post updates, throughout the race, if you are interested.  Wish me luck.

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