Night sauntered by cold and thorough. I nestled into my quilt and let it take me into deep sleep. When the first strands of light hit the horizon, I opened by eyes and felt truly rested after this quarter's teaching. The outside of my X-mid was frosted over. I stretched deep knowing I was dead last and unlikely to catch or see another racer the rest of the ride. This released me of any impetus to move quickly as I embraced whatever speed I wanted. Finally, more sun crept up, and I stirred into the icy world outside. The rain and snow of yesterday left a morning of frozen dew across the mesquite and bunchgrass landscape. I packed up with numb fingers, quickly stuffing everything away, and then wandered back into the common house of Sleeping Dog Ranch to roast my body's core in the woodstove-heat while I made breakfast. I greeted all the morning crowd who asked me dozens of questions about the route, the race, and where I was heading today. I stuffed some granola in my mouth while filling my water reservoirs and answering them all. Then, I was back outside and pulling out into the dawn now washed over the grasslands.

As 2025 rolled around a year ago, I set a goal that had been twinkling in my mind for some time: I signed up for a bikepacking ultra.  I'm no racer when it comes to bikepacking by any means, but there was something to the promise of a shared group experience along with sure physical challenge that stuck with me.  Plus, Janna and I were having a baby in early June which would change the calculus of our free time as late-term pregnancy and newborn responsibilities surged.  The goal became to try one out, preferably locally, and lined up with my time off.  Right around winter break 2024, I spied an Instagram post by Dexter Kopas about the SonorAn Ultra Endurance Ride (SAUER) that he and Henley Philips planned on co-hosting mid-March.  I cross-checked the dates and it landed smack on day one of my spring break - it couldn't be better timing.  And the route traveled on majority dirt roads around southern Arizona - one of my favorite places in the spring and my style of riding.  I signed up immediately when the 320 mile event registration opened.  The date was set, and now I had a real push to get into cycling shape by March.