the road is never easy. it was never meant to be easy.

Just before I left for Ride the Divide, I got this in the mail:

the first of hopefully many more

My first endurance mileage patch. It may seem like a simple embroidered piece of fabric, but it's what it represents. It's been a hard-won award that took me 6 years to reach.

The endurance road has not been an easy one for me, but it's taught me a lot about perseverance, patience, and life lessons in general. Sometimes I look back and wish it had been a little "easier." But at least for me, things that are too easy don't mean as much and I take it for granted.

I treasure every successful mile, every completion, just as I learn from every pull or less-than-stellar experience.

Here's to many more completions and life lessons.