Not Worthy

As a "roadie" I've never been really good in the soft stuff. I've done the occasional MTB race early in my life. They helped me to realize that I would never be great off road.
There have been times that I wonder how I never broke anything off road. the worst was when I was on a narrow single track in NC and clipped my handlebar on my non suspension Cannondale and lauched headlong into the brush. I got back up and finished the race. I remember the course had lots of mud on a hill that I had to run up because I couldn't ride it.

Flash to the World Military Championships and as an alternate for the road team I really wanted to race. There was the Track and Cyclocross disciplines open to ride as team USA did not have a rider for either. Track was out, I've never tried it and didn' t need to die on a cement 33degree banked track. Cyclocross hmm, I've done something like that. OK coach, sign me up. I told my Italian team I needed a CX bike to ride and the next day I'm being driven to the current Italian CX champion's house (Daniele Pontoni) to pick up 2 of his custom Alan CX bikes (1 alu and 1 carbon both with Campy Record) to borrow for the military races. With many thanks I'm back on my way to the team quarters with the 2 sweet rides.
I must admit that I was in awe meeting Daniele Pontoni, and very thankful. He was a 2 or 3 time Italian champion and 1997 World Champion.
Bumming CX lessons from the Dutch, Italian, and French riders helped a bit but in no way prepared me for what lay ahead.
The Worlds course was laid out in a vineyard that I had passed many times in training rides. I warmed up following other riders through the muddy hillside, through the rows of grapes, down though the muddy turns back out to the road which climbed back up to the top of the vineyard.
Dissapointment
I had never raced a CX race before, I'm riding the current Italian CX champs bike, the warmup kicked my ass. What was I thinking?
I can say that I finished the race. I was lapped (possibly multiple times). There is a photo I have of me heading down a steep mud hill with fans and teammates yelling at me.
As I look back at this moment in my past, I think
"Man was that fun"
My Italian teammates were less enthused during the race, they expected more from me. I was sorry that I let them down. But hey, I have never raced CX before in my life. Probably only raced 3-4 MTB races before this.
Not worthy, I washed the borrowed bikes and returned them to Daniele. I thanked him and returned to my road life.
Who would have thought that 12 years later I would be ripping along in CX races in Colorado.
and lovin' it.