Jennifer Dilworth Hynes — mtbchk

I’m stressed at work.  I’m stressed about the wedding.  I’m stressed about my family.  At this moment, I’m stressed about the Burn 24-Hour race and the next few weeks.  Let’s see… 24-hour race this weekend.  Dirt Divas Tsali trip next weekend.  Sugar Mountain NORBA Nationals race the following weekend.  Weekend off.  Cowbell Challenge 12-hour race the following weekend (if I’m not dead by then).  Then, we’re into July…

I’m doing the Burn this weekend.  It will be my first solo 24-hour.  I’ve done a solo 12-hour and a couple of 24-hour team events.  I’m not going out there to really try to compete with the rest, but to see what I can do.  I want to push myself and see how much I can do.  I know I can do it.  I keep telling myself that, anyway.

I’m stressed that I’m forgetting something.  I have a list that I’ve used for the last few years to pack for the team events and I’ve adapted it for solo 12-hour and now the solo 24-hour events.  It’s long.  I’m amazed at how much stuff I’m bringing, only to spend a minimal amount of time in my pit area (I hope).  I started packing the car last night with the big stuff like tents, chairs and bike stands.  My bike is ready, except for the brake pads I need to change out, but that’s easy.

I’m typing this while I wait for my dinner to finish in the oven.  After I eat, I’ll be in the garage.  I’ve started to lay everything out on the floor of the garage to be packed into my plastic bins.  One bin for riding food/drink/energy stuff/personal stuff (like aspirin, chamois butter, tiger balm, etc.), and another bin for bike parts, tools, and other stuff-stuff.  I hope to get all of that taken care of tonight.  Tomorrow night, I’ll do the clothes and the other food shopping.  On my list:  oranges, bananas, watermelon, peanut m&ms, pirates booty (a strange craving of mine), and, of course, YOO HOO — my favorite middle-of-the-night-comfort-drink.

I hope I don’t forget anything.  I hope I don’t cry.  I think I’ll do yoga later tonight.  I have a knot in my stomach.

I know I’ll be fine.  I know I can do it.  I know I’ll have plenty of support.  Because….