100 Miles of Nowhere, Qatar Edition

05.11.2010 | 10:59 am

This year’s 3rd Annual 100 MIles of Nowhere was the 2nd Annual and final Lusail, Qatar edition. I will be moving back to Canada at the beginning of July and waving goodbye to the heat, dust and wind that is the Persian Gulf.

I packed the cooler after the alarm went off at 1:00 am. I ate some quick oatmeal, loaded the car and headed to the Lusail International Speedway for some well-lit and low-traveled access roads.

I got there and found that this Friday night was teenage race night and I was going to have some problems. I planned on starting at 2:00 am and I was right on track.

Unfortunately, about 35 Toyota Lancruisers and other assorted trucks were ripping up and down my race course at about 120 mph.

But I needed to get started, so I suited up and started riding laps around the parking lot hoping things would settle down soon. After 45 minutes of tight loops and the sounds of unmuffled exhaust and backfiring, the locals started to dissipate and the road seemed less life-threatening to head out on.

My course was a straight line, out and back with roundabouts on either end. Total distance of one lap was 2 miles.

I worked by myself until the 2-hour mark, stopped to refill and give the butt a rest. Got back on for a half hour and at 4:30 a friend came out to put in some laps with me. Ryder showing up gave me the boost I needed just as I was starting to think too much about my saddle, legs and back. He pulled me through some of the headwinds and took my mind off of the monotony. 30 miles later, he peeled out and I was back to the podcasts to occupy my mind.

Another hour and my wife and another friend made it out to cheer me in. I limped through the last few laps (amazing how that headwind has a cumulative effect and that tiny bump starts to feel like a real hill) and finished with a smile on my face. The temperature was great this year, only 95 degrees at my 8:30am finish time!

I’m super grateful to friends and family who have donated over $1000 to my Livestrong page in only the last three days. After a hard year of my mother-in-law yet again battling cancer and undergoing chemo and radiation, I’m thankful for Fatty putting on the event again and giving me a chance to feel like I’m doing something to help her fight and THE fight from so far away.

Can’t wait to see everyone again in Philly for the next 100!

– Aaron Peterson