My plan is to ride the event alone. The first portion will undoubtedly involve riding next to folks, adrenaline rinsing off the nervousness. And as we progress along the Arrowhead State Trail, space will find its place between most of us, and we will settle into the rhythm of our respective pedal strokes.
Although I plan to ride by myself, I am by no means tackling this event in isolation. I wouldn’t dare set off on such a journey without consulting the experience around me—people who have frozen, faltered, finished, and tried again. Leaning on friends has not always been my strong suit, but I’m willing to make an exception in this case. Kidding not kidding.
I am privileged to work with a lot of cyclists, not to mention plenty of folks that could appropriately use “Adventure” as their middle name. Spending 2+ hours together during a bike fitting—or an hour in a PT session—makes me privy to stories that might otherwise go untold (Don’t worry—your secrets are safe with me.) This also gives me a great opportunity to absorb the knowledge and wisdom of others, earned through experience.
Additionally, I’m lucky to have two amazing friends in my corner. Without them I wouldn’t be taking this on. In fact, I might not even be a bike fitter. More on them—and why they matter so much to this journey—in Chapter 3.