Tour Divide - 23 Days Out

Well, as the title suggests, I am only 23 days away from the start and a mere 15 days away from flying out to the US !

The training has been going as well as can be expected. Some weeks feel good and others have been a bit well.....blah but I guess I do need some recovery time. 

I should have been training with more routine from this time last year. It would have helped the fitness, however I think I may have become somewhat jaded with 12 months of this relentless schedule. I definitely would have been kicked out of home though. ;) 

The bike is going well and it is currently at River City Cycles where Troy is giving it a fresh drivetrain and brakes. He will also be casting his keen eye over the rest of the bike to spot any other likely issues but to be honest, it was so well built in the first place that it has been a trouble free 2000km(1250mi) so far and I don't expect he will find anything.

I managed to get out for breakfast followed by an all day ride last Saturday with Mark Meyers. This was the 20% ride as we are 20% of the Aussie contingent doing the TD. Mark is another Brisbane rider doing the TD and has the added cache' of having done the TD last year. Mark very graciously poured his TD knowledge out while I tried madly to soak it in.

So, where am I three weeks out?

• I have my bike sorted. 
• I have my gear sorted, well mostly. 
• I have my flights, transfers and accomodation sorted.
• I have my route cues.....not really sorted at all. Not good that. 

I was planning on spending the next few weeks studying the route and planning my daily strategy but work have now heaped a load of training onto me that NEEDS to be paid attention to. My job IS on the line, as it always is every 6 months. This is a bugger as what little time I have left before I start my leave now has to be spent studying work related matter, not where to find a warm burrito at 11pm in Helena, Montana.

Stress? Yes, I know what that is......