Racing Fear and Finding Hope
The author, fully cooked at the Junction Creek finish. Photo by Marco Capote.
In the end I made it, to both the start, and the finish, of the 2022 Colorado Trail Race.
A month later that feels like the most trivial outcome of my journey.
The most significant? I felt the collective flame of humanity work to overcome the darkness. I found humanity’s better half out there - people whose presence and actions lift everyone around them. Following in their footsteps helped me confront many personal doubts and fears I had never before acknowledged.
It was a soul-searing experience. Raw. Powerful. And yes, life-changing in ways I am still struggling to process.
I wrote a nine-part story about the full experience (below). I hope it inspires you as others have inspired me.
The story of my 2022 Colorado Trail Race…
For those unfamiliar…
The Colorado Trail Race (CTR) is a solo, self-supported, ultra-endurance mountain bike race through the Colorado High Country. There is no entry fee, no aid, no support, and no prize for finishing. You might think of it as a “Cannonball Run” for mountain bikers, except it’s legal, and infinitely harder…