Life as a Daring Adventure

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable."  Helen Keller

Sometimes just turning my face is all the bravery I can muster.

But sometimes I have a little more in the tank. I do know how to dig in and hang on, and sometimes I can push and do. I am inordinately proud to report I have stuck to my Kanza 100 training plan since I started it last Wednesday.

Oh yeah, the, uh, 100. I'm not done feeling ashamed - and you can say what you like about how I ought or ought not feel - for dropping from the 200 to the 100-mile gravel race in June.

I know, I know it's the right thing to do, and yeah, I do want to actually finish a freaking race for ONCE since 2015's Half-Jackrabbit (in which I was not DFL thank you very much, thanks to riding partner TS who saw the cowbells and photogs lined up at the finish and tucked in behind me, the chicken gentleman. Because they weren't there to cheer the DFL, the Dead Fucking Last, oh no.  We were such slow riders, they thought we were the first finishers from the full course, rather than the last finishers on the half course.)

A photograph from the Half-Rabbit has been my iPhone background screen since 2015. It was my first gravel race; I had no idea it would be the only I'd ever finish for YEARS. I'm not changing it until I finish another race. Kanza 100 could be it.

Trying to be pumped, I am, I am. I AM. I rode my training hours last week on the trainer in front of days of a Game of Thrones marathon, but I rode them ALL, including the intervals (short higher-paced segments with shorter prescribed rest segments in between).

I modified the training plan since I jumped into a 12-week plan with 8 weeks before the race. (Admitting that to the race director last week was the final straw she needed to encourage me to switch from 200 to 100. AND SHE WAS RIGHT. BUT I GET TO BE SAD ANYWAY. BECAUSE I SUCK MY BODY SUCKS IS FREQUENTLY UNCOOPERATIVE.)

The training plan is set up in hours and pace according to perceived effort, not in miles or miles per hour - and it's so much better for me, a very slow rider, this way. My speed will improve with the interval training. I'm not racing against anyone but myself this year, yes, for this whole YEAR. This isn't training for a podium finish, people, just for a finish. And a new background photo on my flippin' iPhone. That might just be taken in Emporia.