well over 100,000 miles now (120,000?) just keeping them ticking over of late, not going too hard or far. on sunday i rode 4hrs at altitudes ranging between 2000 and 3000m and brutal desert conditions. chose to go where very few solitary riders go, "Los Muertos" (The Dead People) is the name of the route, hushed tones, and heads shake in disbelief that anyone would go there alone. actually there was a dead body, a motorcyclist left blood and body parts spattered and strewn, somebody's son or brother. a handful of people already there, gawking, trying to guess why he crashed. missing the point.
which point?
4hrs here feels like 6 in Minnesota or Wales or like a hard century, fond memories of the Headwaters 100 at the source of the Mississippi, my favourite race. on the rivet, sustained agony, cracking soul open, exultation. best time was 4h16m, about ten years ago...
