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The start of the ride is this Sunday, just a few days away. Kathy and I can’t train any more. Rather, we need to taper our riding. Our last training ride on the tandem was this past Saturday. We joined her group in LA (Chain Gang) on their last ride of the season. We rode all of 11 easy, flat miles, then returned to Griffith Park to enjoy a potluck and a presentation of packing tips for newbies.

All of which is as it should be. But honestly, it’s a little frustrating. We have to pack, of course. And I’ve been adding all the coffee, food, water, restrooms, and areas of road construction I noted on my scouting excursion to the final route maps, which just came out. But still. This waiting to start is killing me. So many times in the past week I found myself just wishing we were on the damn ride already. I’m no longer worried about it. I just want it to be here. Because not only is waiting a drag, but the longer the wait, the more chance something will go wrong between now and then.

I feel as if I’m walking on eggshells. Between now and ride day there are so many things that go wrong. I rode with the Davis Bike Club Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, the whole time thinking, “If I crash, Kathy will kill me.” Whenever I hear from her I’m worried she’s going to say something like, “Roger has covid.” It’s seems paranoid, I know. But given all the ups and downs of our training, a dose of pessimism isn’t completely out of line.

In the meantime, I’ll keep packing and repacking until I’ve pared my possibles down to the minimum. I’ll clean and lube the bike, and then probably do it again. I tell you, 6:30 Sunday morning, when we finally ride out, can’t come soon enough.