Preface - 2007 Furnace Creek 508

Moments are to be seized and savored. This moment took three years to seize and it will take a lifetime to savor. (10.08.07 45:21:31).

This moment was forty five hours and twenty one minutes of heaven and hell. At 4:21 AM on October 8, 2007 three years of training and preparation for this single event became the fulfillment of a dream. My obsession was to finish the Furnace Creek 508. But it became much more to me than just finishing. It has become a life lesson that has changed me forever. Many things are crystal clear to me now because of the 508; Things that had been shades of gray have become a stunning black and white.

I could not have accomplished this solo finish without my beautiful wife Desiree. Her selfless support of my purely selfish goal is humbling. For three years I spent countless days away from home on training rides. Desiree never complained. She planned our meals based on my nutritional demands and timed them to coincide with my always late arrivals. She selflessly volunteered to participate in the 508 as a crew member. Over 45 hours in our crew van and she smiled every time our eyes met. I love you Desiree. [457]

It has been two weeks since I crossed the finish line in Twentynine Palms and I have spent hours trying to recall exactly what happened. Unfortunately, I remember very little of the event. Brief images flash across my brain. But honestly, the only things that I remember are the things that disturbed my focus.