Not checking it off my bucket list

I was hoping I would be able to write and tell you that I finished but not today. I finished 2 laps - a total of 66 miles which took me 8 and a half hours. Am I content with that? Not really. Did I try my hardest? Yes. Did it hurt? Yes? Did I have fun? Yes!

The race was perfect in many ways - great singletrack, perfect weather, no mechanicals, and no injuries or wipeouts. The first lap was the funnest I've had on my bike in a long time. I felt like I was on a roller coaster much of the time. The 2nd lap was really hard and took all of my will to finish. Funny how so much could change from one lap to the other. After that lap I was pretty much done with endurance racing. Now I feel differently.

Today the"could haves, should haves" are going through my head. However, the reality is I just didn't have enough fitness built back up yet and that instead it was test of wills to just get through what I did. So, I'm chalking it up as a good training ride for all the other fun races ahead of me.

Happy trails!

A long and winding road

.......and what a winding road it has been. I started this crazy love of endurance racing with my first attempt of the Lumberjack in 2006. Little did I know how that decision would change my life. Then I was going through periods of melancholy, struggling to find my way, trying figure out what kind of life I want to live and growing into person I want to be. Today, I feel like I've come full circle. That first Lumberjack led me down a path to figuring it out, and surviving cancer affirmed it. Now I am leading the life I want and have become the person I want to be. All this beginning and ending with the Lumberjack. I never planned on doing the Lumberjack until a month ago so I find it my thoughts today quite serendipitous.

Tomorrow is the Lumberjack. I have two goals - have fun and finish!

I'll post up how it went but please send me good your good karma, thoughts, and prayers tomorrow.