Saturday, January 29, 2011

official announcement

I will do the Tour Divide 2013.

If you are not familiar with this, you can click here to check it out. I have actually already started with my training base since November. I get 100 miles a week just with my commute which has been great. I am already over 50 consecutive days commuting by bike. I have done a few 50 miles rides and I did a century for the month of January. I pledged to do a century a month every month until I depart for the TD.

This season of biking will be full of events. The 2011 brevet schedule is set and I plan on attending them all. I will replace my centuries in April, May, July, and October with the brevets that will be held in those months. April has a 200k and a 300k! Also on the agenda, of course, will be the Vermont 50. This will be my third time doing it. The first attempt failed. I got pulled after riding 38 miles. The weather was horrible and it was completely mud logged. That didn't help me at all. Last year had incredible weather and I was able to finish in 9 hours and 14 minutes. This year I hope to trim 30 minutes off of my finish time.

I haven't quite sorted out in my mind the reason(s) for wanting to do the TD. I do know that it will most likely be the single most challenging thing that I ever attempt in my life. It will life changing and it will be an experience that will remain with me for the rest of my life. I will be working on my letter of intent and I will post it when I get it sorted out. Feel free to follow my progress and watch as I prepare for such an "EPIC" event.

5 comments:

Pondero said...

What an awesome goal! If I weren't having so much fun with my non-epic little rambles in the country, I'd want to set a game-changer goal like that. Best wishes...

bmike said...

so great to see this thrown out for the world to see!

we will have to get that long ride schedule set up...

Anonymous said...

Tear it up, Wil!

How is the wheel working?

Unknown said...

Very exciting Wil! Good luck on your epic goal!

I have been thinking of doing the New Hampshire 24 hours of Great Glen ride for years. Might be a good warm up for the Great Divide ride.

Interested in getting a group together for this summer? It is a nice laid back 24 hour "race" that is very enjoyable from what I have heard.

Mike has expressed some interest. I think it would be good with 2-3 riders so each gets about 8 hours of riding in.

Apertome said...

Fantastic! I'm glad you're going for it, and I do look forward to following your challenges as you prepare, then the big event!