Wednesday, August 14, 2013

the race machine

ESP Photography
"30 seconds to go..."
…the last words that I hear.

Every tiny peep and crackle is blanketed by the blood rushing through my ears.
My mouth is dry and my tongue glued to my palette.
I stare blankly forward, my eyes idling in neutral. Waiting...
The marshal’s mouth moves again. I am up on my pedals.
My handlebar is fused to my arms where my hands once used to be.

Lips mouth "GO!" and the perfect storm descends: chaos indistinguishable from the sweet rain of calm.

My eyes, now too wide, see everything.
Yet I am only able to focus on the small pool of trail snaking out in front of me.
I suck and gulp at air through my too small mouth.
Elastic time, stretched out for me to enjoy at my leisure.
1000fps 4K UltraHD here we go.

The pounding rhythm of my heart drums me ever onward.
The river of adrenaline continues to surge, pushing me faster.
Control is relative, somewhat divergent.
And all the time gravity drags me down....
it is just a question of how much to resist it, surrender.

And when this illusion of invincibility is starting to crumble and fray, this ideology seems about to come to pieces, I cross the finish line. Left quivering and shaking, with sweat in my eyes and dust in my throat the rather ordinary world returns.

I wake up the next morning and it is almost like a dream.
But it is real. And I want some more...

2 comments:

  1. Great one Pete. You have captured that amazing aura of insane, bottled up fear and excitement that all extreme adventurers feel! Looking forward to Worlds next week!!

    cheers, Dad

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  2. Hi Pete, Nicely written!
    My son needs a mentor.... I think we need to meet in the mountain. But he first needs a better bike :-(

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