Wilderness 101

What if I could've gone harder?

What if I could've dug deeper?

What did I leave out on the trail?

These are all questions that went unasked early on Saturday morning as the Wilderness 101 MTB race became Reality 101 somewhere on the road to Mount Nittany Hospital while I followed an ambulance that contained, my pit support, my friend, my son.

 

Focus and intensity.

It's how an ordinary racer like me occasionally achieves extraordinary results.

It becomes quite easy to focus when only one thing in your life seems important.

The drop bags I had just put in the bins for aid station #2 and #4 didn't matter.

The elevation profile of the race I had taped to my top tube didn't matter.

The two iced-down water bottles I put on the bike filled with water and heed didn't matter.

The nutrition and supplements I filled my jersey with didn't matter.

My choice of tires and air pressure didn't matter.

After hours of some pretty serious concern on my part; prayers by me, friends and family, and a battery of tests and countless hospital staff's questions answered on my sons part, he was released from the hospital with no immediate danger but with some questions left unanswered.

No matter what happened on that day, some things remained unchanged:

  

I will trust in Him

 

I will live for His glory

It's what I was made for

I was made in His image

I will race for His glory

My God can do great things

With my God, I can do great things

...and so can you.

 

You can do great things

You were made in His image.

 
See you on the trails!
...but not this week.  I'm gonna mix it up with the roadies this week.