There's an undercurrent of nervousness running through me. The kind that makes your stomach not feel quite right. In just a few short hours I'll be joining 400 others, taking on the "World's Toughest Mountain Bike Race." We've convened in the surf town of Jaco. There’s a constant buzz of excitement among the riders. The drive from San Jose enabled us to see the mountains we’d be climbing on Friday. Costa Rica by bus is an adventure in itself. Yellow lines...stop signs...all are optional down here. Thankfully, I don’t get carsick.

"There's a part of me that's still questioning why I'm here vs. at home in New York City...."

It was great seeing return riders, those who became fast and life long friends after sharing in the pain together. First time riders sought tips and other insights from those of us who were more than willing to share stories from La Ruta’s past.

Time to go to bed now. 3:30 a.m. comes quick. Months of training hopefully pay off tomorrow. There's a part of me that's still questioning why I'm here vs. at home in New York City, having a glass of wine on my roof deck. But I just need to shrug off the doubts and anxiety and get psyched to beat this thing.

— Courtesy, Back to the Earth Group