Are You Living It?

Passion leads to perseverence and in the end you get to see or feel things that common sense would not allow you to learn. Like today, on my way out to the start of the Alpine Road Race the rain was soaking everything.  The mountains we were to ride up into, hidden in the storm clouds and promising a soggy cold day.

Now common sense would tell you that riding in a mountain stage of a race in the rain would be a cold and miserable experience and what good would come of doing something so silly. Ok there were moments that it probably was cold and miserable, but I was intent on going as fast as I could while trying to close the gap to the lead group. I caught a few riders that had dropped back from the lead, one at a time. I rode the second half pedaling with as much consistant power as I could maintain. Slowing on the steeper sections, standing when my legs could not push enough. The passion for pushing myself allowed me to persevere through the headwinds and the blowing rain, to be treated to a wonderous sight as I neared the finish. The sun came out for a few moments, the surface of the road changed from cold black to glistening silver and roughened by the beating raindrops, a golden sheet of rain steadily falling past the trees. The sight almost made me forget my discomfort as my heart rate beat at 170. A sight I would have missed if my passion had not over-ridden common sense!