I’ve been riding my bike for fifteen hours. The light projecting off the head lamp on my helmet is an important guide as I take one pedal stroke after another. The smell of the desert around me is sweet and fresh, it calms my nervous energy and renews me with every breath. I focus on the sounds and smells around me as I move through this fragile desert environment. I am suddenly filled with gratitude and peace, then my attention is brought back to the uncomfortable feeling th

Three. Two. One. Go. !!!!!! In a flash of a second, I see my opponent pedal away faster than expected. I keep on her wheel and tell myself that I am ready for this, this is what I was made to do. The pack starts to separate, with a few top men taking the lead. “Don’t look at your heart rate,” I think as I stay on her wheel. We are half way through the first lap and I’m feeling good, it’s time to pass her. I make the pass and just keep pedaling. “Don’t look at your heart rate,