Heather, acting as my voice of reason, just talked some sense into me. I was slated to do the I-84 Challenge, which is the combined events of the Portland Twilight Criterium and The Cycling Classic. But after yesterday’s semi-hard ride, my resting HR shot back up and I didn’t feel so great on the bike today. So Heather told me to heed the signs and not drive 14 hours just to do a 60-minute crit. When I registered for both events, I thought it was a great idea at the time, but that was before I got sick. So instead, I’m going to take it easy the next couple days so I’m good and rested for The Cycling Classic, which should be epic all by itself. It’s a new race that starts and finishes in Hyde Park and takes us on five “dump loops” — that is, Hill Road, Seaman’s Gulch, Cartwright Road. If you’ve been on Cartwright you know how hilly it is. It’s 95 miles with 8,000 feet of climbing, so it’s sure to be a race of attrition. For those of you who want to join in on the festivities here’s the schedule of events.