Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Head-On Collision

Another WORS mountain bike season is complete after crossing the finish line Sunday at Sheyboygan in 24th overall.  It was a day where I probably shouldn't have lined up for the start after a very emotional week on the homefront. 
  
I'll be the first to admit that it was a tough weekend to get motivated for and to even think about being focused enough to race up to my potential.  Lack of sleep didn't help at all either...

My week changed quickly after having to decide to put our 10 yr old Black Lab named Moab to sleep on Wednesday evening.  It all started when her appetite gradually disappeared on Sunday and by Wednesday she could hardly move.  Laura got her into the vet on Wednesday afternoon for an appointment and didn't have any idea how our week was about to change.  At first we thought it might be lyme disease, but it ended up being jaundice (liver failure).  When I got the call at work, I only had my bike to ride to the vets office.  It ended up being one of the hardest 2 miles I've ever pedalled in my life after hearing the diagnosis for our beloved four legged family member.  What was even tougher for me was the effect it had on my family. Seeing the kids and their tearful goodbyes before they left Moab for the last time hit me hard as we tried to explain and console  them.  Laura and I also struggled with our emotions as we held Moab as her heartbeat slowly faded and her suffering was over less than a minute after the injection.  

What I've learned over this last week is that when family matters and mountain bike racing collide head-on, family will always take precedence over biking no matter how tempting it is to pedal on...  

1 comment:

Kyia said...

So sorry to hear about Moab, that sounds pretty rough and makes me really sad...I am sure there were so pretty awesome adventures so keep those memories close to the heart!