There’s a mountain bike race in Northern California that I’ve been obsessed with for 21 years. While the numbers don’t seem extraordinary—1,000 participants tackling 27 miles with 4,500 feet of climbing—the event is unmatched for its difficulty and prestige.

Temperatures regularly approach 100 degrees and, because riders start en masse, they pedal through suffocating clouds of dust that obscure bone-breaking rocks on the narrow trail. I’m writing, of course, about the Downieville Classic.

In the summer of 2025—at age 43 and long past my prime—I finally achieved my breakthrough athletic performance at this event. It was truly the best race of my life. What made the moment most special was that I was competing one year after losing my entire left lung to an aggressive type of cancer called synovial sarcoma. I never expected to be able to race again. For a few weeks, I didn’t expect to live long enough to see this race. But on race day, I was alive, able-bodied, and deeply grateful for every moment. The experience made me realize that an essential element had always been missing from my training plan: perspective.