Well I went to the doc today. It's an ingrown hair and she's not too alarmed about it, though it has turned into what she calls a "cyst". However, since I have a century in 1.5 weeks, she didn't want to remove it and make me not ride (she's so thoughtful ). So I'm going to have it removed after the ride. I'll have a few little stitches and be done with it. I'm apparently not showing any signs of infection, so I'm A-OK that way.

She said oftentimes what people think of as "boils" are caused by the same conditions as what I experienced (ingrown hair, irritation, can lead to infection). She didn't want to lance this given its size and condition; she felt it would be best to remove it (I think her exact term was "scoop it out"). She did tell me it's not as big as my brain thinks it is...it's just in a very sensitive spot!