Adventure

Life is an adventure, or at least if you make it one! One of my favorite quotes is from Teddy Roosevelt….

It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

Likewise, my Creator did not knit me together with a timid soul. He scooped down and created me in His image. Once he was finished molding me out of dirt, He breathed His Spirit into me and I breathed! He did not create me to be timid or void of passion, He created me to live and to worship Him through my life! So it is I live to do!
One of my deepest passions is for cycling. I enjoy every facet of the sport. When I am separated from it, my balance is off and I long for it. This year has been a challenge for me in this way. I have had little time to ride and indulge in my passion. However in the spirit of what I wrote above, I have found a new cycling outlet. I have been commuting to work steadily throughout the summer. Now that the nights are getting dark, I decided to invest in some high quality lights and continue to trek to and fro once or twice a week. I will admit my first night commuting home in total darkness, was no less than scary. I was on guard and nervous the whole ride, however I am now enjoying the ride home. The night is not scary, it is peaceful and I look forward to the quite solitude on the dark roads. I think my next step is trail riding at night.
I am also climbing into the ring to do battle with Cyclo-Cross racing. This is difficult due to my enormous, competitive spirit. Nothing frustrates me more than not being prepared for a race. I will have little time to train specifically for the races, but will focus on enjoying the moment.
If there is anyone interested in racing or just watching, you can hitch a ride. The first race is in Dayton, OH on Nov. 9.