headin' the right way

Life is a network of trails. You plow straight ahead, twisting and turning, grinding up the hills and bombing down the other side. Sometimes you fall, with blood drawn. Other times you clean an otherwise seemingly impassable path. Sometimes you make it through but come out the other side scratched up and scarred, but still satisfied with the accomplishment. Sometimes you get to an intersection and aren't sure which way to go in unmapped territory.

I've been spending a lot of time on trails in recent days. I've been slowly conquering before-'paralyzing' fears of roots, and rocks, logs and everything not smooth. It's been awesome. And in the back of my mind is a 100 mile mountain bike race that would mark my second bicycle race ever (first being iron cross) and my first ever mountain bike race. I'm not sure if i'll get there or not but the uphill path is treatin me well.

Really it's not as much about the "race" as the challenge. The seemingly insurmountable physical goal that years ago I wouldn't have fathomed of conquering. The confidence brought with achieving said goal; the reward. And even more important yet, the experiences and adventures encountered along this path...translating to every facet of life - work and play.

This is why i'm smiling ear to ear at the top of one of the nastier climbs in the forest (TOP). Seeger is nothing less than painful as you grind your way to the top. Yet, at the top -- met by the coolest of friends (thanx cowboy!) life is seriously good. The feeling of accomplishment and strength outweighs the burn. Seriously.

LONG cross ride -- i've been on the century a month plan (although in between centuries have been numerous 90 milers). On this day, however, my century was cut short due to a broken free-body hub. Try to pedal without one of those sometime! Bummer! So 100 miles on the road turned into 65 climbing miles of cross.

Left: you see the strangest things in the woods. The most ginormous (yes it's a word) leaf gall i've ever seen!

Raystown trails!! pure bmx-style FUN.

Saturday group rides. We rest our legs in the parking lot before big climbs (apparently) :) This day was a 120 miler with like 7500-8000' of climbing. It rained - a lot. i felt like crap that day but still enjoyed the ride. sweet.

Left: speaking of crap - horse shit from rural back country roads -- mmmm. ;)

My new mountain bike - discovered on the way to e & g's wedding -- smith and wesson style! yes apparently police ride these around in AIRPORTS. Check out that squish!

Ahh more group rides!! this day brought with it a windy 95 miler.

Tap trail. mmmmm

Read this as transparent, however it's not just about the bike. The bike is one means to an end consisting of awesome experiences, confidence and strength built and sincerely, truly great people. Other means too bring similar rewards. Getting to the top of one trail climb all the while knowing there's another soon ahead that's potentially harder and more intense. Or perhaps it's all downhill. Regardless, you're ready for whatever that particular path presents and confident as you move forward that whatever turn you make at any particular intersection, you've got the strength to make it through - in a big way. Given this confidence there are no wrong turns in life - only right ones... or maybe left ;) as long as the trail leads you forward. you're headin the right way.