3-4-08

A lot has happened since my last post. I got a new job working with a mid sized commercial general contractor in Atlanta, I moved this last weekend into a new apartment, my nephew, Isaac, had yet another surgery (thank God there were no complications at all this time), and my social life is not suffering either. I’ve also been presented an opportunity to go mountain biking in Tibet for a few days this summer. Of course, after all this starts happening, I get an email today from a firm that I wanted to work for about a job in Kabul that they are looking at me to fill.

The last two months have been an absolute whirlwind of happenings and emotions. At the start of the year, I was planning to put my life on hold and head back to Kabul and here I am back in Marietta where I have family not far to the north and south, friends, my church, my job (relocating in April to 10 min from my apartment) and, oh yea, a great trail that’s a 3 minute ride from my front door. I live next door to the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, aka Sope Creek. Sope just happens to be one of my top 3 favorite places to ride. There are some challenging technical climbs backed up with fast sketchy descents and if you clean everything you try, well, it was a great day! I can get a 13 mile loop there so with (6) of these technical climbs tossed in there, it makes for a great workout.

Along those lines, I’ve decided to do my first hundred miler. I was planning to do this race last year before I went overseas so to get the opportunity this year is great. I’ll be doing the Cohutta 100 which is just up the road a piece in beautiful north GA, with the start / finish being at the Ocoee Whitewater Center near Ducktown, TN. This will be a good precursor for the Tibet trip and will be a big accomplishment. Of course, I have done centuries on the road, but a mtn bike century is another deal indeed. I’ve been getting some great workouts in that include running, swimming, weight training, and riding so I believe that I will be prepared physically. My goal is to complete this race in 10 hours, while being happy with 12 ;) Of course, I’ll keep you posted here with a race report and pictures.

No back to our regularly scheduled program.