TAKING OUT-OF-TOWNER RISKS

YA KNOW WHEN YOUR FRIEND calls up and says their friend is a real good athlete and you should take them out when they're in town, and you're like...

... uhhhhh, okay.

A bike ride in my case.

Gravel.

I mean, I like people,
I like meeting new people...

... but, do I wanna ruin my ride with a friend of a friend?

What are the odds it'll be good?

Dude texted nice,
was thoroughly vouched for...

... I still didn't bother with breakfast or mix in the bottles.

Then,
$#!7!!!

He's a cat from the very fastestest of fastestest teams in Arifreakinzona!

Worse, 
I remember him from BWR AZ.

Lean,
young,
confident...

... pushing the pace, launching me from 8th to 28th, as we dove from the pavement to dirt single track.

That's the guy?!

Shoulda had breaky,
shoulda had a massage,
shoulda gone to bed early.

This little recovery ride just got R E A L.

I'm gonna get shelled.

This is not what I had planned,
this never, ever happens.

We head out,
at least I know the route
and can eliminate all the sections where I suck.

Now, I gotta talk to him.

Assuming I'm not gasping for air while trying to play like I'm in total control.

It gets worse.

Unless he's one heck of an actor,
and why would he be?

He's super nice.

And we have a ton in common.

Crap.

Can't even hate him like I did in AZ.

By the end of what had to be the first actual fun, conversational ride I've had in months...

... he's coming to Surf N Summit, and I'm riding with him when I'm in AZ.

Then, all the JetSet guys will be like Really, you're brining a dude from CA?...

... only, I'll actually live up to the friend of a friend reputation.

===

167.8 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
PushUps PullUps Deadlifts etc
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
97/-1 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248