The title is pretty accurate.  I have only raced twice since I broke my hip a little over 10 months ago in May.  I should have been racing a month ago, but got sick and then my dog, Bromont, got sick, so I put it all on hold.

Today is not the way I would have picked to get back into it normally.  A 100 mile gravel road race.   Now, it is 100% change of thunderstorms for the start.  Boo on that.

The promoter told me that the river levy, where the race starts, is super spongy when it gets went.  That means a slog–fest from the start.  Not to mention having to race 100 miles on gravel all wet and muddy.  It might turn out to be an epic day, which it would have always been, just in a different way.

This will be Bromont’s last bike race, I’m pretty sure.   I put a mattress on the backseats so he can lay out flat and maybe the ride won’t be so bumpy.  He has been to a ton of bike races, probably 500 or so. I hope he enjoys it.

I rode to Lawrence yesterday on gravel to enter the gravel road race. Seemed appropriate. Roger Williams has done an awesome job putting this race together.

The weather now, a couple hours before the start.

I was watching the Redland’s criterium on my iPhone before dinner last night at Freestate Brewery in Lawrence.