It was the midnight 50‑kilometer loop in a blizzard—my crew thought it was a joke, but we were ready. The wind hit the ridge at 70 mph, the GPS spun, and a chunk of ice slipped off a ledge just as we were passing. I grabbed the fallen block, wrapped it around my pack, and shouted, “This is the thing that matters.” The whole team followed my lead, we rerouted the trail to avoid the ice, and ended up shaving off half an hour of the original time. We crossed the finish line laughing, and the story turned into a legend that got us a sponsor. If you’re ever out there, remember: a near‑disaster can become the fastest finish line you’ve ever seen.