gang aft agley

I wonder sometimes at the use of making plans. I registered for Wildflower way back in December, the second day of open registration actually, figuring no matter what happens in the upcoming months, I would still go to Wildflower.

"the best laid schemes of mice and men, gang aft agley..."

Friday afternoon picking up my packet at Wildflower my head started hurting from a wicked headache. Then my throat started hurting. That's usually not a good sign. But I shrugged it off. It had been a long day, and I was tired from driving. Plus it was warm and very windy. I was probably just dehydrated.

Friday night I went out to late dinner with Elaine and Wes. I got back to my hotel room and my cheeks were flushed, my throat was killing me and my legs felt like a ton of bricks to move. I fell into bed and tried to sleep, hoping that all I needed was some rest, and I'd be fine in the morning.

5 AM Saturday morning- I wake to the alarm. I have an hour to dress and pack up the car and head out to race.

5:01 AM Saturday morning-no way am I getting out of bed to race. I don't even want to move to turn off my alarm clock, there's no way I can swim and mountain bike, and run.

"the best laid schemes of Mice and Men go oft amiss, and leave us nothing but grief and pain for promised joy."

So now I have my wildflower tshirt, my 25th anniversary poster and a timing chip, but no race report because I did not race Wildflower.

I cried a little about that. It's been a hard year, starting way back in September. And I'm just now feeling like I'm my finding myself again after my whole life has been turned upside down. Not doing Wildflower though feels like another failure in a whole list of failures that I'm piling up.

But what can you do? Wildflower has been around for 25 years, it'll come around again next year. And God willing, I'll be at the starting line. I'm already making plans.