The Timing has Me Thinking

It's funny how things tend to fall into their places when they do.  When a string of things fall together at a seemingly unrelated time, it certainly makes believing there is a higher power involved with our lives very easy to do. 

A month ago, I returned home from Ohio where I qualified for the Race Across America.  Since then, I have spent a week relaxing, a week riding and two weeks of being sick.   I once worked for a gentleman who would preach "Failure to plan is planning for failure."  I am not sure who originally said this but it has stuck with me over the years.  As I began to feel better this week and my body was beginning to feel incredibly antsy, I started to look towards next year's training and racing.

Now, it's unrealistic that I get all my ducks in a row to take part in the RAAM in 2013 but I do plan on racing more and putting the training in so that 2014 isn't so unrealistic.  2014 would also be the last year of my current two year qualified status.  One night earlier this week while I was trying to put together a preliminary list of races I might have the slightest bit of interest in doing next year, I got the craving for a cold glass of juice.  

That is when the first of two signs arrived that would make me believe 2014 would be the year.  I reached into the fridge for the pitcher of juice and saw there was not enough left to fill my glass.  No worries, we always have an extra can of Dole's delicious 100% not from concentrate pineapple juice on hand.  As I was opening the new can, I couldn't help but notice the stamp on the top.  (Reminder that RAAM takes place in June every year.)

After letting that little nugget sink in, I went back to meticulously, putting together my extremely tentative race calendar.  Then on Thursday, after a long day of power testing and halloween hayrides I received a letter from the Executive Director of RAAM.  The second sign in as many days that 2014 should be the year.  It was something I had been dreaming of for a long time, my official invite to participate in the Solo Division of the Race Across America.

How all of these things could happen within days of each other is beyond me.  With the exception of one of us, the timing of these events was certainly out of our control.  Whether 2014 becomes a reality or not, only time will tell.  One thing we can be sure of, is they have given me an incredible amount of motivation to continue working hard down this path.  And I intend to do so.

Sinking In

A week ago yesterday, I was able to finish a chapter of a long time dream of mine when I crossed the finish line of the Ohio Challenge.  By crossing the line in less than the allotted 34 hours, I became qualified to race in the solo division of what is renowned as the hardest race in cycling, the Race Across America.

As I sit here now, I am still taken back by the outpouring of support I have received from not just friends and family but also from complete strangers.  People who I have never met and seemingly had nothing in common with were sending motivating messages throughout the day and night.  The phone ringing throughout the night despite my inability to press the correct  button which would allow me to actually talk to the caller. Instead I denied 90% of the calls and just kept riding through dark cornfields repeating to myself over and over again, "Hello? Hello? Helllloooo?"

Combine all of those messages with the handful of conversations and emails I have received who have made reference to how my racing had inspired them to do more with their lives not only in a fitness sense but to lead a more fruitful life in a general everyday sense, all have me reevaluating the reasoning I was reintroduced to a bicycle years after I stopped riding one as a kid.

When I started this journey, I had nothing but selfish reasons to attempt and complete the qualification process.  I am humbled in knowing that I am not alone when I am on the bike.  I am excited to see what is to come in the future as I prepare for racing lots of shorter and even a few longer distances next year.

The question I am asked the most "When will you be doing RAAM?" is a tough question to answer as I am not completely sure when the right time will be.  The one thing I do know is that being surrounded by all of the best coaches in endurance sports, the best of friends who continually inspire me on a daily, the most loving wife who accepts and tolerates every crazy idea that passes from my brain to my mouth and a family who are all willing to go to the end of the earth to make my dreams come true there isn't an easier answer to give.  Soon, very soon.