5 days...

4 days from this very moment, I will be getting up and getting ready to get Battenkill-ed. Oh, yeah, baby!

In all honesty, I'm sort of looking forward to the race. I think that it is going to challenge me on so many levels. Certainly, there is the obvious nature of the physical challenges. A 62 mile road race, 25% of which is dirt or gravel roads, climbs that are WICKED steep and screaming fast descents on uneven roads. Please note the course map below and, in particular, the profile of the course at the very bottom of the map.

Then, there are the mental challenges of this course. #1 - I'm not really a climber. Therefore, heading up to a steep climb is not just about the physical (which I know I can overcome), but the mental. I have to remind myself to "Climb within yourself" and that it's only one climb - deal with one at a time and move on. #2 - This is my first real Pro/1/2 race of the year. Jeff Cup certainly had some ringers in it, but this race is jam packed with women who are more than capable (on their worst day) of ripping my legs off.

There are also the fun aspects of this race.

1. It is one of the biggest, one-day classics races in the nation. Right up there with the Liberty Classic, this is one that I have wanted to do for a long time, but just haven't had the nerve. It's amazing to be part of a race that currently has around 2220 racers, nearly 200 of them women. To think that all of these people are challenging themselves on this course is amazing, and I am proud to be one of them.

2. I'm heading up there with some amazing teammates and friends. Not only will I be riding alongside Jencheng, Grizzly Gurski, and the Goat (and Chicken in the Cat 3), but SaraB, Pat, Officer Kulicki, Dana, Lenore, Julie, Peta, Big-Fast-Kate, Patty, Maria, Cass, Emily, Amity, and Amanda will all be up there (plus others that I'm sure that I forgot). Knowing all of these women, we'll all be supporting one another and trying to make sure that everyone is pushed to the limit!

3. My hubby is coming along! It will be so fun to have his support up there with me. Just knowing that he is on the side of the road waiting for me to come by really does make my cadence a little higher, makes my breathing feel a little easier, and pushes me toward the finish line.

I guess you can tell that I am looking forward to this race. Am I nervous - heck yeah - after all, Evelyn has decided to come back and defend last year's title! Am I excited - definitely.

See you on the flip side!!!