Hoodoo 300 or Skull Valley Loop 320

My wife, Anna, just cleared more of the mist in my head about the issue I've been exploring (and briefly been blogging about for the past few months): motivation. 

"Oh yeah.  That makes much more sense."

Internal motivation v. external motivation. 

Cycling, in particular.

Yesterday I wound up doing a training route I hadn't really planned to do so soon after being off the bike for about 5 weeks:  The Skull Valley Loop

The western section of the `Loop' has been undergoing major repaving over the past 8 or so months and I hadn't ridden it for at least that long.  I discovered yesterday that, in fact, the repaving is almost completely done.  And this great training course is back `online.'

The Hoodoo 300 is a challenging 24 hour race taking place just outside of St. George, Utah.  Home Page of Hoodoo / PlanetUltra Events

I had chosen the Hoodoo 300 as a key cycling event for '13 because of the following reasons:

• it is very challenging both in terms of miles and feet climbed;
• a recumbent has never entered this race;
• it is well-known among ultra racers as a demanding course.

These were the `external' reasons for choosing the Hoodoo 300.

And what about the `internal' reasons?

(There is nothing like `money' to give one pause to think something through a bit more carefully.  Entry fee, motels, gas, equipment, food and time would put this event into the $750 range, at the least.) 

I live in a location that possesses almost all of the challenges that the Hoodoo 300 would provide, except for the elevation factor.  Top elevation out here would be 6,100 feet.  Top elevation of the Hoodoo 300 would be 10,600 feet.  Significantly higher. 

For people living at the lower altitudes the Hoodoo event offers the additional challenge of dealing with the effects of altitude.  Not so much for me, actually.  Some difference but not as much as for someone who lives in, say, Tucson or Houston. 

So I asked myself:

`Why would I do something that is less challenging than what I already did on May 11, 2013 190 Miles and 19,000 feet # 1 and 190 Miles and 19,000 feet # 2 ?'

And the answer I came up with was: Ego ('internal motivation').  I'd want other people to be impressed. 

Comparing doing 300 miles of the Skull Valley Loop with 300 miles of the Hoodoo 300 makes a compelling case to change my choice of challenges, save money, and scratch my ego itch.  The difference, however, would be that I wouldn't get the easy peer recognition of having done a well-known ultra event. 

So I find that I'm back at the `why am I doing this?' question.  This time, however, I may benefit from the thinking and introspection about motivation of the last five or six months. 

Hoodoo 300:

• 300 miles long;
• 18,368 feet of climbing;
• 10,600 ft max altitude;
• $750+ cost;
• peer recognition.

Skull Valley Loop:

• 6 loops;
• 320 miles long;
• 29,184 feet of climbing;
• 6,100 ft max altitude;
• < $100 cost;
• not widely known about, significantly less peer recognition.

I think I've made my mind up.  There is an `internal' motivation of a greater cycling challenge that trumps peer recognition.  There is also the `external' factor of saving lots of money. 

So here's the plan.

The local Prescott Alternative Transportation organization is holding an invitational Skull Valley Loop Challenge on the same day as the Hoodoo 300.  I'll use the Skull Valley Loop Challenge event as the first of six (6) loops to my own 24 hour, 320 mile, 29,184 ft of climbing `ultra' event. 

Interesting (if slow) process of introspection and analysis for me. 

UPDATE: April 3, 2016:

Didn't do it.