She blazed down the hill as the sun steadily rose, exposing a warm day.  Decked out in her new TIMEX watch, Rudy Project glasses, and sweet red bike, she oozed confidence.  The cars and school buses that passed gave her more than a glance.

Oh, to be 7, with your mom fresh back from Team TIMEX camp.  What’s up with the TT bike sizing… well, maybe next year.

So, why do I race, with a 7-year old at home?  Why leave at the crack of dawn to swim, why invade the house with people over on Saturday morning to go ride, why leave town for the weekend to race.

To satisfy the advice received about mothering a daughter:  “It is your responsibility to show her how to live, to show her how to be a strong, independent woman.” 

To feel great:  Struggling after a miscarriage about 5 years ago, like many women, I felt I failed and ‘had to get pregnant again’.  Lesson learned.  It is not up to me.  During this period, I just added to the weight I gained with the 11-week pregnancy.  One day, I took a long, hard look in the mirror.  The face and body staring back at me reflected not the athletic image I had of myself.  So, I made a change.  I went and got my body back (and then some).  What to do with this tremendously fit and lean machine?  Find an adult sport.  My brother encouraged me: “Take swim lessons.  We’re going to get you a bike.”  My first race was a month later; I was in love.

To set an example for the community:  My husband races, my friend changes her eating habits… Let’s just say, “Inspiration comes standard.”

So, let’s move the potential judgment-begging rationalizations away. 

Most truly: I race for me.  I race to be me… because I want to feel surrounded by warmth, love, and victory (actual winning not necessary).

So, should you race?  It depends on what you truly want:  How do you want to feel?