Too much on my plate

I'm looking forward to two upcoming events. On August 1st I'll be participating in a memorial golf outing for the son of our very dear friends. Jeff passed away several years ago, leaving behind a young son. He was also my friend, as well as our friends' son; I was certainly closer to his age. Like most left behind after a suicide, I agonized over what I might have done to intervene in his life. Of course, I understand I was not responsible for his death. Jeff enjoyed sports, and I golfed with him, and his dad and his brothers, on a couple of occasions. Now his family organizes a golf outing each year around his birthday. Proceeds go to his son's education fund.

Next up after that will be the Cheat Mountain Challenge, a 108-mile bike ride in West Virginia that finishes with an ascent of Snowshoe, on August 15. A group of my cycling friends are doing this ride, and it fits right in with my long-term goal of riding a century in every state. It should be a gorgeous and challenging ride.

Here's why those two things, between them, represent too much commitment:

• I haven't swung a golf club yet this year.
• I haven't ridden my bike further than a metric century (100km, or 62 miles), and that was in early June.
  
• There's rain in the forecast for four of the next five days

With only ten days to get ready to keep from completely embarrassing myself on the golf course (best ball, fortunately, but I'd still like to contribute), followed by two weeks to keep from killing myself riding up a mountain, I sure could use a break in the weather!