T Minus 6 Days Until Death March Revival Yo-Yo +

 

A reminder that playing bikes is fun!

As the day draws nigh, self-doubt tries to burrow its way into my soul.  While years of doing these grand adventures has forged my mental fortitude into a magnificent weapon, the physical struggle to finish them is undeniably getting harder.  

While I have done the Death March Revival many times, I distinctly remember the feeling of finishing with absolutely nothing left in the tank.  And now, I am going to turn back around and do it in reverse, and then add 2 additional climbs up FS 45, in order to get 29,045 feet of gain in this one ride.  That is 200 miles!  In less than 24 hours!  Fuck!

So I have been focusing on people that have made an impact in my life and drawing strength from their character.  Both Michael Rasch and Graham Skardon have done adventures much tougher than this.  Their strengths lie in being consistent, focusing on the now, and enjoying the ride, no matter how hard it gets.

There are the ladies older than I, who are still out there crushing it on the bike:  Lynn Sims, Nancy Waddell, and Beth Hoffmeister, to name a few.  I will lean heavily on them during my low moments.

And when I feel the "poor, pitiful me" moments, I will tell myself that I chose to endure this struggle. I will remove any negativity from my mind by thinking of those, both human and 4-legged, who are struggling every day through no fault of their own, but by the hands of others or just pure bad luck.

I am also very grateful that I have friends who are willing to endure this challenge with me.  Thanks, Dave, for stepping up to play my insane game.  

So while it may not be fast, pretty, or fun all of the time, it will just be ... my impossible route.