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Race participation is (obviously) a component of being on a race team. In my case, I need to participate in a minimum of ten races per year across all disciplines.

For the past two seasons I competed in a series (PACX, then MAC). This year, I just wanted to do the ten races that were closest to my house.

I registered for Granogue CX, which was about 40 minutes away. Then I found out that my brother (his wife and my nephew) would be visiting that weekend. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. I would be racing in the morning and home early in the afternoon.

They arrived on Saturday evening. It was the first time he had been home in two years. Almost one year to the day he had major surgery for cancer, he was here with my 9 month old nephew. They were tired and immediately went to bed.

I was up early the next morning and arrived before the races began to preview the course. Something didn’t feel right. It could have been that the venue was new to me...or that I didn’t see any familiar faces...or that I didn’t feel comfortable on my bike...or that I really just wanted to be home with my family. Any way you cut it, my heart just wasn’t in it. I packed up my bike and headed home to spend time with my nephew. CX can wait another week. 

There are more important things in life.