What Have I Done?

First things first.  Happy Anniversary to the wife.   16yrs ago today, I cut my hair at the in-laws request and married their daughter,  made her my wife and life partner,   took her on a wild ride, got her an education and sent her off to work, so I could ride my bike!

Congrats!

Then, I finally signed up for the P111K,  and now I realize that I have lost my confidence.  That confidence that comes with riding consistently. The confidence that comes with doing a couple of longer training rides before a big event. 

I keep thinking about the race as a bikepacking trip. If I had everything I needed to survive on my bike, I would not be so worried,  I could just stop and take a nap or spend the night.  No worries there.   But, in XC Endurance,  in order to maintain some speed, it is impossible to carry much of a load.  My biggest concern is not knowing what will be available at the rest stops.  What kind of food?  Can I carry a sub sandwich without worrying about the meat going bad?  What kind of meat won't go bad over 12  hrs?

I'm not so worried about water,  the temps are going to be 40-60 degrees with a  chance of afternoon rain.  I'll have two bottles on the bike and my 30oz Camelbak on my back,  and some Nuun in my pocket.  Knee warmers, arm warmers, baselayer and jacket should take care of the weather.

So, yeah,  I'm a bit hesitant,   and a lot skeerd.  My plan is to ride at a bikepacking pace, take in the scenery and smell the roses.  No racing or I'll end up DNF for sure.  We'll see what happens.