"either define the moment or the moment will define you"

I returned home last nite from Grande Cache and the Canadian Death Race. It's extremely difficult to put into words how amazing the experience was. In a way that I have never experienced, the race forces you to confront the limits of your being. Not only were the mountains formidable, but the heat was oppressive.

But we did it! Our team (Just 'Cause) had a blast and did amazingly well. I finished my leg in just over my goal time, which made me extremely pleased. A number of racers were injured on the first leg and a few were forced to "tap out". One memorable moment occurred on the very first major downhill section (there were many!) when a rather beefy man yelled from the top - "LOOK OUT; I'M COMING DOWN!!!" And down he came indeed! He figured he would sprint the downhill section to gain position, but overlooked the snarl of rocks and roots poised to trip up the careless. So, I was at the bottom of the hill when the would be Usain Bolt hit a root and tumbled all the way down, which left the racers ahead of him scrambling to get out of the way of this out of control freight train!

From what I saw, and for the most part, the Death Race seems to bring out the very best in people. The spirit and the vibe in the town of Grande Cache was palpable. I saw a number of racers stopping to help other racers and teams pulled together in the most incredible of ways. I am very proud to have been a part of all of this!!

Before my wife started her leg (at 2 a.m., no less) we were sitting around talking in a meagre attempt to the pass the time while we waited for our teammate to finish his leg. I was giving her a pep talk about how she was going to rock the race and how THIS was a very important moment in her life and for her. In the last year, we have suffered through 3 miscarriages - she more than me, of course. Nonetheless, this has been quite mentally and emotionally draining on us as we have attempted to cope with and understand this loss. For Jo, this race was really important for her psychologically and for sentimental reasons... and she owned it!

The Death Race, and especially her leg in the dark, was a metaphor for our last year. Although I have never run in the dark, I can only imagine that you have to take one step at a time otherwise you're going to trip and fall (like my friend who went for a tumble). And Jo did trip and she did fall, but she got back up and kept on running. That's the way we want to move forward - not only being fully in the moment, but embracing and owning the moment. Too often we, all of us, are caught looking too far ahead straining to see where the trail leads and miss the beauty and opportunities that are in front of us. Walt Witman very poignantly stated, either you define the moment, or the moment will define you. Jo and I will go boldly into the future one sublime step at a time, embracing all that comes. Like the nite-time trail, I can never know what is around the corner (another child? a blackbelt?) - all I know is that Jo and I will do it together and support each other in the spirit of the "Life" Race. I'm so very proud of you, Jo! Way to go!

Big thank you and congrats to my team. I'll be back next year ready to embrace a new challenge and test the limits of my being.

best,

Bryan