Labor Pains - Pre-race Jitters

We have just arrived in Seward, AK where Stage 1 and 2 take place tomorrow. "Team Warner" is doing well: Harold Warner, Mona Warner, and Leonard Gastelum! Pictures to follow. Mona and Leonard are both race volunteers which means they are driving cars with 3-4 racers in them from place to place. Tonight is a dinner and a news conference! Then early to bed to be rested up. Am I nervous? Just a bit. First, some of the best wheelchair & handcycling racers in the world are here. I still don't know how they can be so fast.

We begin with a Time Trial which is 12 miles, full-on racing against the clock. I am not a great time traialist but will be doing my best. I am hoping that not everyone is "worldclass" speed capabilities. Then in the afternoon we have a Criterium in downtown Seward. This is a course that is .65 miles downtown, and you go around and around as fast as you can, and hope that you hit your corners right and the climb that is in the middle of the course. Everyone is talking about how challenging the last three days are. How intense the climbing is on each of the routes. Since I haven't been there and a race profile doesn't really tell the whole story, we'll just have to see. I just know that it's no joke! So, hopefully, I can get over the jitters and get started and just do my best. Tomorrow night I'll give you and update along with pictures. If it's raining like predicted we'll be wet, muddy and tired....but glad we're off and running!