My Mind Is Playing Tricks on Me

How the mind whispers confidence when it should be screaming caution

In January 2005, I was in Castleberry, Florida, knocked unconscious on my first run of the day.

I had landed a last-minute spot on the trip after winning a pro contest a month earlier. Another rider broke his leg, and I was called up. Technically, I wasn’t even on the team—a mentor of mine vouched for me. Maybe because I was talented. Maybe because I had…