Long Term Goals

In my last post I discussed some of my goals on the bike regarding cyclocross. Today I'm going to write about some goals I have off the bike. If you've been following this space for the last 6 months you know that I'm engaged in a volunteer work, more specifically a Bible education work, that is very near to my heart and that I am giving up road racing to be able to spend more time in this field.

My goal regarding my volunteer work for the next year is to put as much time I can into it - even if this comes at the expense of my road training. I'm never going to be a pro cyclist, so while I love riding/racing my bike, there are bigger things in life. This doesn't mean I'm turning my back on cycling all together, but focusing my training on a discipline that doesn't require the same amount of training as road racing.

My long term goal is go to a special 6 month school, called Gilead in Patterson NY, where I will learn how to be a better teacher of the Bible. After the school concludes I would then be assigned to a foreign country to help teach others about the Bible. This won't be anytime soon, as the average age of the student is 30 and I'm not even eligible to apply yet.

The sport of bicycle riding/racing is a beautiful one (the most beautiful ATMO) and I love it. There is no replacement for the feeling of freedom being on two wheels gives you. I'm not going to lie, this month has been hard as I have watched other racers discussing their plans for the first races in the coming weekends. Though an added benefit of giving up road racing is more energy for 'cross.

But there are things in life that are bigger than us that must be focused on. I don't regret for a second my decision to give up road racing. My true career isn't in bike racing, but is in helping my fellow man.

I sincerely thank you for reading these last two years (has it really been that long?) and I hope you will continue to do so. There are big things on the horizon both on the bike and off. The Adventure is only going to get better - I promise

Thanks for reading!
Captain Crunch (aka Joel Ankeny)