Tour Divide 2013 - T minus 30 days Crunch time.

This is the hardest part.  Getting to the line.  When you actually have to prepare to step out of life for a few weeks it gets a little heavy.  Or even harder deciding to take on a dream and actually sacrificing to make it happen.  Less then 30 days left now and although I feel better prepared than last year I forgot the pressure of the last month.  Really though, how freaking awesome is this! Put all the pressure and lamenting to follow aside and say, "I am one lucky ________" and you fill in the blank.  And by lucky of course I mean that luck is nothing without hard work and creating opportunities for ourselves and believing.  Choice+Work+Sacrifice+Opportunity+Believing=Luck

Still have to make a decision on shoes but I think I am running out of time to break in a new pair so I am hoping that crazy glue and duct tape hold up to their legendary status and I will wear the old pair.  Gore socks and plastic bags should also come in handy.  I have to figure out the rain pants too.  Will probably be a last minute choice as I really don't want to bring them.  They do offer some warmth but I am not sure that the sweat from the rain pant greenhouse effect keeps me dry.  I think I will take Jill Homers advice and decide that warm and wet is better than cold and wet.  So I guess I just made my decision, I am bringing rain pants.  I am waiting for a few things to arrive still so I may have to have a back up plan for some minor items. 
I have been real busy at work.  I work every day, most nights and both days on weekends right now.  Still trying to close out my property management business as well.  I really had to find a balance this year between training, preparation, work, family and life in general.  I put so much into the race last year that I crashed hard mentally after the race.  The race itself was one of the greatest things I have ever experienced and when it was over, I tipped.  The balance was wrong.  Better this dream be a compliment to life that helps to give me a new direction than an all encompassing force that defeats me when its gone.
I learned a lot from the race from last year, but I think most of the simplicity of eat, sleep, ride really helps me find priorities and learning that life comes around once was the biggest lesson.
Focus now.  Almost there....
I have enjoyed chatting with a lot of racers this week.  Very inspiring and great to hear about the gear choices they are making and  to sense their nerves. I will enjoy the challenge of trying to catch each and everyone of you!  After all it is a race.  A little word of advice to all the rookies, if you make it late to Elkford and the restaurant is closed, try to avoid the sandwiches from the liquor store fridge.