Tour De Tonka August 7

My bike is tuned. I have been riding, but the heat and humidity are always a concern. Heat exhaustion, dehydration, road conditions, cosmic allignment, solar flares, are all concerns. This is the time frame when any experienced biker, runner, or tri-athelete established his credible excuses. Only a rookie approaches the starting line saying, " Hey, I feel fantastic, gonna kick butt". No! Better to use a knee brace even if you are healthy. Then when you finish, you grunt and say - "It was tough out there, but I rode through the pain". Then off to eat a whole deep dish pizza.