No more 100.

I made the decision not to ride 100 miles in Nashville this September. I am definitely still riding in the Nashville JDRF Ride, but I’m not pushing myself to ride the full century as I originally planned. I’m hoping for (at least) another metric century as I did in Death Valley. When Sept. 21 arrives, if I’m able to ride farther, I absolutely will. But anything beyond 60 miles will be icing on an already pretty delicious cake. I hope this news won’t disappoint you, and I hope you’ll still support me as I train for a metric century. (You can do that by clicking here.)

For several weeks, I trained with the ultimate goal of finishing 100 miles. Slowly, I began to morph into a person I didn’t like very much. Riding became a burden, and it was no longer fun. Physically, I was struggling with lows and the frustrations grew from there. I didn’t have the time to spare for that kind of training, and I began to cancel plans so I could ride. For a commitment such as a century cycling needed to be a priority, and I couldn’t make it one. The things I was missing out on, were things far more important to me than cycling. After spending some time in prayer and careful consideration, I decided to pull out of the century club.

Since making the decision to ride less, life has been drastically smoother. Riding is no longer stressful, and I’m appreciating the simple joys of cycling again. I’m so much happier, and it makes life so much better. Even hills are less terrifying since taking some of the pressure off.

This is such an interesting season of life for me. I’m working on several things behind-the-scenes (which I hope to share with you soon.) Those things need to be a priority in the coming months, and something had to give. Cycling was the place I could bend.

So much of life is simply about margin — finding the perfect balance. One day, maybe I’ll ride a full century. But this year, I’m completely content with a metric century. Besides, if we’re being completely honest — it’s not about the cycling at all. It’s about joining together to make a difference in research. It’s about raising money for JDRF, the leading funder of type 1 diabetes research. It’s about better technologies and better therapies. It’s about a future cure — for me, for you, for your family and for future generations. Cycling is simply the way we celebrate our capabilities.

I hope you’ll still consider partnering with me as a financial supporter for this year’s ride. You can do that by visiting my JDRF page or clicking the Nashville button in the right column.

Thank you for supporting me and encouraging me, from the bottom of my diabetic heart.