Living in the Human Zoo

I feel like such a doomsday prepper getting ready for this weekend.  Kinda have to do it tho...

I only have one goal.  Break nine hours.  Lofty?  Dunno.  I almost did it two years ago with a 9:03.  I managed an 8:46 back in 2007, an 8:43 in 2008, but who even knows what that was all about.  The course has been a mile or so longer since 2013, so all PRs are whatever now.  I've been just a few minutes off and many, many more minutes off since those days of my "youth." 

So yeah,  bottles.  Shenandoah is one of the best races at which one can live off the fat of the land.  The aid stations are packed with such wondrous goodies; brownies, pizza, french fries, Coke, Pringles... not to mention the neutral bottle hand ups.

But if you're serious (about something), you kinda gotta do some taking care of yourself.  I have no idea how many calories are in the neutral bottles, but doing my own means I've got 222 calories of CarboRocket Half Evil in each one.  That means I've got five+  of my nine hours worth of nutrition without doing anything special.  The past few years, I've been passing up on the neutral bottles and filling up my own.  Add to that the time I spend "enjoying" my pizza and french fries?  I'm not saying that I'm passing up the pizza, but it may just be one slice on the roll out of aid station five, not the picnic of years past...

unless I've already blown my chances at a sub-9 race...

which I'll have no idea if I've done or not, considering that although I'm running a computer, I will have no idea where I stand in relation to my goals because I don't do "data."

Anyways, first time in a long time that I've put anything in my drop bags other than backup mustard, preloaded Race Straps, and some random gels.

Dahn Pahrs is already threatening me. I have to make the podium or else... something.   Sheeeeeeeee-it.  A sub-9 barely got you into the 2014 top ten.  So many strong single speeders nowadays.  Single speeders who probably didn't gain a few pounds since Breck Epic.  Single speeders who probably kept up some sort of "routine" or "training" or some "thing."  Single speeders who haven't all but given up on their morning rides because of losing interest in battling spiders, unexpectedly closed-off sections of greenways forcing terrible reroutes, waning daylight... boredom.

I'm waiting until after the race is over and just a small bit of time after that to make a decision as to what to do next.  Revenge of the Rattlesnake, Fool's Gold 50... or skip all that and head to the road Worlds in Richmond, VA?  I mean, it's Worlds, right?  Can I race it with a one-day license?