Busy busy

The days leading up to the wedding are proving to be a bit stressful and time consuming. I haven't been doing much riding the last 2 days because we just seem to keep finding more small details that we overlooked for the wedding. I'm actually more tired from running around and not sleeping well than I would be if I was just riding. After the ceremony I'll have 4 weeks left before race day so I'll really cram in a bunch of miles before I start to taper my training and try and put a weeklong peak together that will, hopefully, carry me to the finish.

I really need to thank Heather for being so incredible and supportive about this little endeavor (the race not the wedding). She has taken on the majority of the respoonsibility with the wedding and making sure that all of the bases are covered. She's been unbelievably understanding when I head out for 6 hours at a time on the bike and then come home and eat and sleep or spend hours in the garage going over gear and packing details, meal plans, and studying maps, working on the bike, or just sitting in a chair and staring at the bike and thinking. This race has completely consumed my life for the last year. I can honestly say that I have focused more time and energy on this event than on any other race I've attempted.

I truly am grateful for all of the support that I've received along the way. A huge thank you to all of you who have donated your hard earned money to a cause that seems to impact us all. Thanks to my students who have kept me motivated throughout the year. I'm doing this for you all as well and I look forward to sharing the experience, stories, and photos with you this August (it will be educational and....you will like it). Thanks to Heather...for going along with the plan to actually marry me and everything else. She seems oddly excited about the prospect of spending THE REST OF HER LIFE with a knucklehead like me. And last, but certainly not least, massive thanks to my pal Tim Kakouris and everyone involved at Ghisallo Sports for the bike, care packages, motivational speeches, coaching, and for just being there on the other end of the line or answering my rambling emails. You have no idea how thrilled I am that we have re-kindled our friendship. You are one of a few that I proudly call "friend".