Note to self: perhaps it’s time for a pre-ride checklist.
Two weeks ago at the Spartanburg 300K, I forgot to put the computer magnet on my front wheel.
And this week? I packed about a dozen gels in a fanny pack -- and promptly left them in the car.
Thanks to…
A special thanks to Tony G. for sharing a couple gels with me. He somehow got wind of my dilemma and passed me two at Seagrove.
We have Jerry and his lovely better half, Beth, to thank for chips and water at Andrews Store. Their generosity was touching and much appreciated, as the store was closed when we got there a little after 11 p.m. 
Thanks to Al for hosting another terrific event. He was out there with a video camera shooting some NSFW footage. 
Thanks to Sridhar, for being the designated lanterne rouge on the 400K. He was having bike troubles. I hope he made it through the Uwharries okay. It always makes my day to see him on the course.
The Ride
We saw about 15 minutes of hard rain, and about five hours of a spitting rain. The weather turned out to be much better than the doom and gloom forecast.
I rode the majority of the ride with Wes and Capn Ende (left). I highly recommend their company. You can count on a good time and good memories. Wes had the best legs in the group and pulled us home over the last 30 miles or so. Thanks, Wes.Is it just me, or does that Uwharries section get harder every year?
And whoever be breeding all dem dogs best stop....
We had a two-burger ride, one on the way out, one on the way back. The second one was better. We washed em down with milkshakes.
Equipment Notes
A word to the Schmidt hub users: Be sure to carry a spare bulb. My light burned out about 35 miles from the finish. I had a spare, and it only took a couple minutes to switch it out and get under way again. Otherwise, I would have been stranded. This is the second time I’ve had a bulb die like that.
What to get when it gets wet: As Capn Ende noted, the O2 Rainwear jacket is the best $30 you’ll ever spend. It folds into a small sack, weighs nearly nothing and was just what the doctor ordered when a cold rain began to fall.
Mind Games
I sat in with the front bunch for about 25 miles but when I stopped for a nature break they slipped off into the future. I resigned myself to a solo trek for the next 30 miles. I might see them at the control, but there would be no catching them on the road.
A solo ride gives me a chance to hold court with the voices in my head. Hand me a brevet card, any distance, and my brain spins a web of self-doubt and worry. It may be two hours, three hours, 100 miles before the broom of the open road sweeps away that negative energy.
Kelly called as Ende and I rolled down Siler City-Snow Camp Road, a straight 10-mile shot to the first control of the day.
How was I doing, she wanted to know.
My head’s not in it yet, I said.
Your head doesn’t have to be in it, she said. Just make sure your legs are. And remember why you’re doing this. Paris.
Ah, yes. Paris Brest Paris. I needed this qualifying ride. And so I kept the legs in the game, even when the head was picking up static.
Two hours later, I was having the ride of my life. Again. The weather had moved in but the mind had cleared.
Meantime, up in the hills…
Riding buddy JoeRay skipped the 400K to do the Asheville Town Mountain time trial. He won the masters division. That’s no surprise to anyone who has seen him in the mountains. He is truly amazing. Here’s a link to the results.
Morrisville 300K riders
I haven't figured out an easy way to fit these in, but here is a slideshow of riders on the May 5 300K in Morrisville. I was ill that day so rather than riding, I worked as a volunteer and took pictures at the start and the turnaround.
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