Wow, was the Michigan race fun! Of course the weather was awesome if you were having a cookout, but hell on the bike. Temperatures rose to 92-95 degrees F, and winds of about 10-15 mph; no clouds and high humidity made it rough with a lot of people dropping early.

The first half for me was my best 12 hours yet, even compared to the flat course of Calvin's Challenge a few weeks earlier. In fact, I was at 174.5 miles after 11 hours, then started on the 7.5 mile night loop.

Although I ended up at 257 miles, I was happy with that. I started getting cramps after about 11 hours so things slowed down. With noone to assist or motivate me, my breaks between laps were longer than they should have been. Oh yeah, I was also still smoking and taking a smoke break every 2 laps.

As for the smoking, that was the last straw for me and this week I did something about it. I went in for Laser Treatment after talking with a co-worker who had done it successfully. I drove 350 miles to Raleigh NC, smoking like a fiend the entire way. I went in for the treatment and haven't smoked since! Not even a craving, desire or a withdrawal symptom. When I had quit before (twice) I was extremely irritable and couldn't concentrate. This time, nothing. It is as if I am simply a non-smoker now! Unbelievable.

In light of this, my work schedule and my weight, I have decided not to enter the Hudson Ramble in New York in July. Instead, I am concentrating on weight loss exclusively. I plan on dropping 20 pounds in the next 10 weeks then doing the New England 24 hr challenge in August. This will put me at about 172 pounds, not smoking and feeling good. I believe I am on the road to my goals and can finally see some big improvements. 2007 is the year I will qualify for RAAM.