As you blog readers know, I have been enveloped over the past few months in building tracks at my new Coachseiji.com Motosports Training Ranch (yes I need name suggestions). I was really excited at first; all my energy was directed at the dream of riding and working out my back door. I eagerly saw my pasture change from hay to a killer SX track then slowly transform into an epic, 3 minute pro lap time, Southwick rough motocross track.

I knew going into the project that I would be all in….not only moving out of Austin but also the massive equipment rental charges and diesel bills would completely exhuast my retirement funds and my credit would get maxed out. I knew it but I was willing to gamble it because the rewards would be huge. All this calculating and risk assessment was done including a sponsor’s very gererous contribution to the project. I was nervous but confident that all this fiscal dice rolling would pay off…..until the sponsor pulled out, leaving me with a huge bill to pay and very little time to pay it. I went into panic mode, got depressed but found a way to pay the bill.

The depression grew deeper along with the tension and feeling of failure. I had risked it all and I would lose it all. I honestly thought I would have to give up the dream and go back to working as usual, in a building, out of the sport that I have grown to love. I even prepared to lose my ranch. I was in the deepest, saddest hole I had ever been in. It was BAD. I didn’t even want to ride the track that was just outside my door. I didn’t kick my bike over for two months. I hated it.

Then it rained. It rained for days. My track looked really, really good. Team Xtreme Green riders Hunter Hewitt and Dean Wilson came down for the week along with my associate coach Jordan Patik and his client Rusty Potter. We trained at my place….the track got really, really rough……lines formed everywhere…..I even rode but I got way more pleasure watching them ride MY track….we cycled the country roads around my ranch and lifted weights at my gym…..I was smiling for the first time in months and I got the same butterflies in my stomach like I used to before I did a gnarly rock climb…..the guys were riding my track and I was working in my yard…they loved it and I loved it. And just like that it was worth it. All the stress, financial strain and emotional turmoil seemed miles away. For one brief week in July all the world was right. The risk and sacrifice I and my wife made to move out of the city, buy property and build these tracks became worth it. I am not out of the woods yet but now I am fighting with more purpose and more smiling. Man was the track sweet. Those guys were flying. Hunter went triple, triple, triple, single. I even made it through the chicanes and cleared a few jumps. We walked out my door and rode and trained at my house. I was doing EXACTLY what I wanted to be doing. REDEMPTION. I won’t forget it. Risk still has rewards and the the journey still matters. Wish me luck!