The middle of the race became a blur, but one moment that stands out to me is when I started to fall asleep while climbing the Moroccan Stelvio. It was one of the longest climbs, with an endless number of switchbacks. As I ascended I would occasionally nod off. I’ve been here before, experienced this sort of sensation. But this time I started to panic. I had fears of riding off of the edge of the road, down the cliffside. Normally, I would stop and find a safe spot to take a 5 minute nap. There was no “safe” place to stop. My panic started to develop into a full blown attack. I sat on the side of the road and willed myself to meditate. I focused on controlling my breathing and slowing my heart rate so I could continue to a safe place to sleep. After a few minutes, I was up on my bike and found a flat area in the woods where I could take a proper rest. I woke up about an hour later and continued on my way, determined to get to the finish line.
At one of the final resupplies, I was invited by the shopkeeper to have tea. Mint tea is a ceremonial experience that is an honor to be included in. The shopkeeper provided the most wonderful fresh baked bread, and we enjoyed each other’s company, even though we could not communicate. He even asked to take a selfie with me. I grabbed a few items, including an apple.
Shortly after leaving the shop, I came across two donkeys in the road. I stopped and offered one of them my apple, and it ate the entire thing within 30 seconds. I couldn’t believe these donkeys were out and about and that they came up to me to say hi — was I hallucinating? It’s experiences like these that drive me to compete and explore the world around me.
Buoyed by this encounter, I was content on rolling it into the finish. I was coasting downhill when another rider flew past me.
My competitive fire was reignited and roaring, as if someone had doused gasoline on a spark. There was no way in hell this rider was going to finish before me.
I sped up, and we raced the climb. He looked back a few times, and all I could think was “I will never relent.” I was riding faster than I had the entire race, and eventually he was unable to hold the pace. I powered through and arrived at the finish line just a few minutes before him to a crowd of finishers and race volunteers. What a special moment that was!