Well fan, I have always been a bit of a mile whore but the last few years things have gotten ridiculous. Way back in the early nineties when I put the BMX bike aside and I started riding and racing MTBs and road I was always about doing big days in the saddle. My philosophy was why do 50 if you can do 70 before dark, why do 3 hours when 5 hours sounds so much better. It might be a chicken or egg argument but I seemed better equipped for the long days. I am not sure if it is because I trained for long days or whether I was physiologically built for the long days. If the event went over 2 hours my podium hopes were and are always greater. So the marathon/100miler off road format has always captivated my attention. As a young buck punk teenager I did the original Wilderness 101 in 91-93 and I loved it while most other MTBers at that time thought that was down right silly—“MTB races should be 20 miles” I would hear.
Getting Rad after 7 hours: http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/
So a few years back Bunny and I started half jokingly talking about doing the NUE series much too old mans grumbles about that idea. That year Bunny and I did set out to compete in the series dragging the old man along with us for his always rosie disposition on things. Bunny ended up 2nd Pro Purty Ladies and I got 3rd SS is the series. Gunnar joined in the travel but because of sickness and being a grump he did qualify for the series but we were all hooked on the 100 mile crack, yes even the old man. And this is how the NUE Series ruined my social life. Ok, rather it made an already horrible social life worse. Like I said, I was always a mile whore but since the team has decided to focus on the 100 mile/marathon format our saddle time has gotten ridiculous. For anyone, a “oh so pro” or a sprouting novice a 5 hour day in the saddle is a good day, right? Oh no, I stayed home from the races this weekend so I could get some good training in and when I found myself heading home with only 5 hours in I turned around to keep going until I had close to 7 in, ugh!!! And I am not the only one afflicted by this mile addiction on the team. Betsy and Gunnar stayed home last weekend only to do a 7+ and 10+ day. Now I have been training with Gunnar since the mid-nineties and had I said back then lets do a 7+ hour day he would have balked and slapped me in the back of the head but now if I crap out at 7 hours he balks and slaps in back of the head. And Bunny is not just an enabler to this silliness but she is an advocate for it, no longer the voice of reason. Now anytime the three of us have a training weekend together it goes from a 6 hour day, to a 8 hour day to a “wow it has been dark for an hour and we left the house 10am maybe we should head home” sort of day. Such is the lyfe or maybe we need a short track intervention--Mom, this is why I do not have a girlfriend. At any rate just get out there and ride.
As always "May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face" and may your wheels always find it safely back to the ground.
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