Dreams can provide a look into your subconscious. Many people believe dreams show you how you truly feel. Between self-insight and overall absurdity, I enjoy my time in the dreamscape. I’m not one who deeply analyzes my dreams, but if something is obvious, I devote some thought to it. 

Cyclocross consumed my dreams the other night. I dreamt I was on my Niner RLT9 Steel cruising up and down grassy hills, cutting through mud and gliding over barriers. It was fucking glorious. I wish you could have seen me. Only problem is, I don’t race CX when I’m awake. I go to races, but only to drink with friends. Sure, I’ve considered racing, but the second I picture myself taking a hard spill, that ends that. 

My biking in the past three years has been conservative. I ride everywhere I can—work, happy hour, tea, errands, etc.—but the manner in which I ride has adopted a level of caution. In 2012, I straight wrecked my shit while biking. Some guy cut me off while riding to work. I hit my brakes to avoid hitting him and hit the pavement instead. A couple broken ribs, broken right arm in two places, fractured wrist, snapped jaw, broken finger and a split chin and eyebrow for good measure kept me out of commission for seven weeks. Since that day, I’ve taken no unnecessary risks. Cyclocross was always labeled a risk to me. “I’ll never race,” I told myself.    

Then I had a dream. And I got to thinking. The big reason I spent the past three years playing it safe on a bike was because I don’t want to go down like that again. But you know what? When you ride as often as I do, you’re going to take a spill. If you’re going to take a spill, you might as well have some fun while doing it. 

So this is what I’ll do. My spring and summer will be spent riding and running as I normally do. I’ll make sure I get weekly singletrack miles to train for shitty terrain and trail running miles to gear up my feet for mud and grass and roots. The big thing I’ll have to do is learn how to mount and dismount on the run. I’ve already got the shoes, kit, bike and tolerance, now I just need to start training. 2016 will be the year I race.