Finally, a moment of quiet to enjoy and to escape the chore of painting our house, which has been a mainstay of my world for the last two months in between work and the other “stuff” of life.  The end, for now, has come – thank the Lord! I could use some WD40 to lubricate the joints from all the up and down motions logged in the process.

Have you ever made a decision then looked in the rear view mirror and asked the question, “What in the world was I thinking?”  Recently, one of those moments smacked me.

Spring is officially on the books although the weather outside has been contrary to the calendar.  For me, it means outdoor cycling time is finally here.  I decided to jump into the deep end of the pool to start things off.   After all, goals are a good thing to set.

A few weeks back I registered for the 2013 Mon-Tour 82 Mile Road Epic.  The website categorizes the event under the EXTREME section.  The brochure states:

“After the first hill or two, you will already know you are in for a challenge.  After a few more, you’ll start to question your decision to participate.  By then end, it is simply a battle for survival!

How about that for an encouragement to jump in with both feet?

For those of you that may be inclined to check it out, a race link is shown at the bottom of this post.

Back to the question I posed earlier.  Call me nuts or a glutton for punishment – I am going for it! This will be my third attempt, the two previous times falling short by a minor and major degree, respectively.

More importantly, the brochure hints at the real reason I am participating.   I am not satisfied with the results of the two previous attempts.

“It is You against You…after the race…you will know you did something special on this day…by registering and participating you are already in the top percentage of those willing to try!”

In those words there is a promise of a reward for the willingness to try, the reward of accomplishing something out of the ordinary and beyond your comfort zone.  It does not have to be a large thing.  The first step is often times the most important one taken.  Maybe it is extending forgiveness or an encouraging word to someone who grates on you.  Perhaps it might be taking a walk this evening when you might have couch potato tendencies.  Whatever it is , you get the picture.

What in your world are you willing to try to that will stretch you a little or a lot? 

Whatever it may be, you have what it takes if you simply allow yourself to go beyond the ordinary and to risk entering the extraordinary.

http://new.rivertownrace.com/?page_id=4974

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