It’s 1 am Thursday prior to the start of Unbound. Exactly 53 hours before we have to line up. It has been a good week so far. Arrived Monday and have had a couple of days to get settled in. Today was pretty awesome. Started the day riding in the Hall of Fame shakeout ride. It was supposed to meet a group coming in from an overnight stay at a campground, in Pomona, KS. They got rained out and had to motor to town. We just left as one big group and spun around the outskirts of Emporia, KS for an hour or so.

I enjoyed catching up with Mark Stevenson, a.k.a. Guitar Ted, who as an inductee of the inaugural class (last year) attended the banquet to lend support for the incoming class. Mark is about as laid back as they come and really represents the grass roots segment of the cycling community, that has taken to the mixed surface roadways, i.e. gravel. Maybe you’ve read his blog, now over 20 years in print, or more recently, a podcast where he teams up with N. Y. Roll.

Later, I overheard Alison Tetrick telling Jason Strohbehm, about breaking a foot last weekend and can’t get around without a walking boot. Jason, is one of the Pirates up in Lincoln, NE. They host Gravel Worlds each August and more recent events like Winter Endurance (February). He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, and gave the introduction at tonight’s banquet.

When I asked Alison why in the hell she’s riding a bike (instead of healing) it started what turned into about a 30 minute conversation. By that time, as is not unusual between two people meeting for the first time on a bike, it felt like we’d known each other for years.

She was one of tonight’s four inductees, along with the late Joel Dyke, Miguel Crawford and just Yuri (according to Dan Hughes his last name “Hauswald” is superfluous). In her acceptance speech was discussion about the challenges that women athletes face, along with battles with injuries, anxiety, depression and society’s expectations. Alison doesn’t hold back anything and it might have been tough for some to take.

I was impressed by her honesty and courage. For someone who has won her share of races, she understands the emphasis isn’t on the result, but on showing up. That is, the hardest part of a race is getting to the starting line. Finishing is comparatively easy.

Which gets back to my predicament. Facing a sixth attempt at the 200 mile course. I finished the first four. We all missed ’20 (covid) followed by a Did Not Finish (DNF) in ’21, and a deferral last year due to health. Did Not Show (DNS).

Back in ’19 I thought a fifth finish was a given. Now, four years later, still working on it. There are no givens. The night before that DNF, was no sleep. This year, a return to that pattern. It’s ironic how we can deterministically prepare for a challenge. Getting everything in order. But, sleep is not something we have any control over. Either it comes, or it doesn’t.

We’re talking about nerves. Anxiety over showing up. Like Alison said, getting to the starting line is the hardest part.