Bears and Dogs. And the odd bad driver.

It has been pointed out to me, usually by women like my mother, that I will be going through a lot of bear country on this ride. Since I live in Colorado, I am used to bears in the backcountry. We have black bears everywhere here, and bear/human interaction is something that we take seriously. Last summer, we even had one try and break into the house.

But a lot these miles will be in Grizzly country. They are a totally different threat. And apparently their poop is very different, as explained on this sign.

With that in mind, I started researching pepper spray. I found some on Amazon that comes with a device for attaching it to my handlebars, so now I am ready to roll. And feeling pretty invincible, I might add. In fact, I am going to go back to one of my training routes and see how that mangy hound likes the taste. I am also hoping to meet that redneck again that thought he would try and run me over after I gave him that hand signal indicating he was #1.

One more piece of gear taken care of.  Be sure to tune into my next post where I address saddle sores!

Forgive Me Strava For I Have Sinned

Forgive me Strava for I have sinned. It has been - what? Almost 3 months since my last confession?

Well, in my defense, a lot has happened in that 3 months... I got my ASA bareboat sailing license in Florida, came back and rode the Iron Horse, then left again for a trip to Bali where I got PADI certified, then off to Australia, then a few weeks enjoying houseboat life before I had to pull the boat out today...

But Strava, I have been faithful to you. Mostly. I have been training, but haven't always logged my miles. I have been researching the route, and my supplies, and mentally preparing.

Now, time to get serious. Need to drop 10 more pounds, and get my riding miles up to at least 200 per week. Strava, you will be seeing a lot more of me in the coming weeks!

Today I activated my SPOT Satellite Tracker. I plan on carrying it throughout the race and transmitting my location. If you are interested, my Shared location page is here.

More to come!