Today Ken
left for the start of the 2013 Iron Butt Rally. The actual IBR starts in
Pittsburgh on July 1, although there are two days of tech inspections and a
banquet and what-all leading up to that.
Many of you
followed along as he ran the 2011 IBR, up to and including his accident. We’ve
finally gotten his website set up, and
I’ll be posting there (as well as, probably, little updates on FB and Twitter)
for the 11 days he’s running. I can’t give specifics on what he’s planning or
where he’s going or, often, even where he’s been, but I can let you know how
he’s feeling and how things are going overall.
(This is
because a few IBRs ago, someone had their friends track the top rider(s) and
then followed them to try and match their route. This goes against the spirit
of the IBR and, quite frankly, is poopy. We scowl at these people. But it means
I can’t officially blog about Ken’s route/ride, and I respect that rule.)
If you’re
reading this and wondering what the hell this goofily named rally is, go to Ken’s website, where I’ve posted the primer
I wrote two years ago, with some updates.
As for me,
well, I’m asking you all for a wee bit of support during this. I’m working on
accepting that worry is a useless emotion, that it doesn’t help or hinder or
change anything. It’s just an energy-sucking mindset. Intellectually, I
understand that and agree with it. Emotionally…
::deep breath:: My worry or
not-worry had no affect on his accident two years ago, and I’m working on embracing
that moving forwards. (Plus he ran two long rallies last year without a hitch.)
So please think good thoughts, and if you can, be available and patient if I
need some hand-holding.
I’m also not
able to be at the final banquet where they announce the winner, as it’s in
Pittsburgh and I need to be at a workshop in Oregon the next day, and finagling
those flights proved prohibitively expensive. So I’m torn between wanting Ken
to win more than anything else, and knowing that I’ll be gutted if he wins and
I’m not there.
Nah. He damn
well better win this thing!
Anyway…I’d
forgotten (again) what it feels like when he’s first gone, how it takes me a
day or two to settle in. My stomach’s in knots, as if I’m stressed, but
intellectually, I’m not—it’s ore that I’m unsettled. Instead of coordinating my
day with him, I can eat when I want, sleep when I want. I mean, I do that
anyway, but usually we have lunch and dinner together, watch some TV together,
run errands together. The house is quiet except for the cats, and they’re not
very loud most of the time.
I have to
make sure I don't fall into my frequent trap of becoming a hermit, because
although I need alone time (especially to work), I need people, too. To that
end, I’ve got the Neil Gaiman reading/signing tomorrow night (meeting people
there), Morgana might come over Saturday, and Sunday I’m getting together with
a couple other writers for lunch and a writing fest. Next week, I’ve got
workouts with my trainer on Monday and Wednesday, and chiro appointment. Hey,
that makes me feel better already. :-)
If anyone
wants to get together for lunch or a movie or walking/jogging, let me know!
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