Unfinished Business.

To date, there has been only one event in my life that I DNF'd. (For non-athlete readers, that means Did Not Finish).  It was raining that day.  And no, not the the little sprinkles that cause your hair to frizz.  During the first 5 minutes of the ride, it was like someone put me in the shower and turned the water on full blast.  The torrential downpour was so bad that I remember asking myself, "Which is safer? Having the rain fall into my eyes and risk having my contacts fall out, or ride with my Oakleys and perform a self-windshield-wiper action with my fingers every few minutes?"

After descending some hills, gripping my brakes fully, and still rolling out into the street due to lack of traction, I quit after the first rest stop.  I didn't even make it to mile 20. 

I knew this was the wise decision, the safer decision.  But still...

You know the free t-shirts you get after completing events?  In 2009, I had pre-ordered a size for the guy I was with at the time, since I know that in this sport, it takes two.  It killed me because he wore it all the time.  Hey, it's just a shirt, right?  But it secretly bothered me because it was a reminder of the fact that I really hadn't successfully accomplished the Grizzly Peak Century- I had only grabbed a few pretzels and GU gels at the first rest stop and called it a day.

At the Vineman awards ceremony- with the GPC shirt.  WHYYYY?

Needless to say, I had unfinished business with the GPC.  To be honest, I was dreading it.  I was dreading the hills, the elevation (8,600 ft and change), 102 miles...but I wanted to prove to myself that I could rewrite the ending to this story, even a few years later.

And yes, this year was very different.  Wolfie and Hulk fed me an awesome dinner and kept my spirits high on Saturday night, and Stinger packed my bike up the day before so I could just shimmy over in my chamois early at o'dark-thirty without worrying about bike logistics.  I had good company up the hills, fun playtimes of descending down the hills, and overall, felt pretty amazing.  Some parts were more difficult than others (McEwan Road- cough, cough), but being surrounded with positive friends was a huge determining factor in how the day unfolded.

At one point, we rode past the San Pablo refineries.  The scenery was drab and overall devoid of nature and life.  

Definitely not like riding through the vineyards!

The lack of beautiful scenery made me even more appreciative of the beautiful green landscape, rolling hills, and blue sky that normally fills our sights during our rides. 

The usual. I know. It's ok to be jealous.

I noticed the parallel in my own life.  I had to witness the ugly times to really appreciate the beauty I am now surrounded by with my fellow friends and teammates. 

Choo-choo! Riding the Stinger Train.
Notice the difference in our expressions. haha!

Finished business.

An epic ride with epic teammates calls for an epic beer.

I no longer fear this ride, the distance, or the elevation.  This was a lesson that you can re-write the ending to a story.  The inspiration and courage can be channeled from the people you choose to surround yourself with, and also from within you.  

But it is you who ultimately holds the pen. 

Now, how do I order extra 2013 GPC finisher t-shirts?