Confucius say, “If at first you don’t succeed, congratulations, you found something hard.” Big Long Thing #161, the Keys 100, a 100 miler from Key Largo to Key West. Flat, unusually cool this year (70s as opposed to 90s), with off and on rain. I failed in my first 100 attempt at Rocky Raccoon. I went out too fast, crashed, assumed the funk I got in would never get better, and rashly quit. I went out too fast here too, and I crashed, and I was underprepared due to an injury. But I got lucky with the weather. I learned to keep plugging away at it, and I’m learning to accept help from friends who believe in me more than I did in myself. Thanks to my crew (Karen Eviltwin Vollan, her mother, and my pacer Vemana Sotala) things ran well even when I didn’t. I’m grateful to have these friends, and others who encouraged me all day yesterday. I owe much of today’s success to each of you, and I’m now ready for a nap.
