I was a little light on super-long training rides and races going into this September’s Texas Time Trials 24-hour race at Glen Rose, but my training had been good and consistent for the previous ten months and it’s hard to pass up a nice socially-distanced race less than an hour and a half from home. A 24-hour time trial is a great test of fitness and nutrition and being on the bike solo for so many hours is also a great mental test since it’s a long time to be in your own head. I’ve had a mixed bag of mental experiences in long-distance solo racing and training this year (it's been that kind of year for cyclists and non-cyclists alike hasn't it?). I stayed very positive and upbeat during the unofficial Gran Gravel 500 race back in March but struggled during my 9-day tour/attempted ITT of the Arkansas High Country route in June and my DIY Virtual Gravel World’s 150-mile overnight race in August. Sometimes as things got tough physically, I’d catch myself unable to shake a nega...