Why it was good I wasn't athletic in high school

I'm ending my 2013 season on a bittersweet note. I structured my season around the solo 24 hour world champs in Australia, but due to Oz being a very difficult and expensive location to get to - I had to pull the plug last minute. The good news is that my preparation for the worlds produced a great byproduct of a few unexpected wins along the way, making this season possibly the best of my cycling career. However, for me the experience of the cliched journey is really what I take away every season and it makes it all worth it.

A good friend of mine said to me the other day, 'Your biggest win is coming back from your injury.' He's completely right. Just over a year ago I was laid up for 4 months unable to stand for more than 5 minutes. I worried about every day that I didn't exercise and how much weight I'd gain, which really put me in a bad place. Fast forward to this summer and I'm riding my mountain bike through the high country of Colorado, racing plenty and feeling I'm where I'm supposed to be. A place I thought I wouldn't get to again.

I'm lucky in the sense that I found my sport, albeit later in life. I sometimes wish I was an athlete in high school. (fun fact: I DID letter in girls volleyball as a manager/stat taker. You may laugh, but when you really think about it - it's genius. A high school guy hanging out and traveling with a team of girls.) The thoughts of missing an athletic background don't last long when I think about my motivation to train and race at age 33 when most pro cyclists are thinking about hanging it up and moving on. I love it. It all still feels relatively new to me. I love the work and suffering that comes with being a bike racer. I love preparing all winter and hand crafting my preparation for the upcoming season. Win or lose at the race, it's all part of that journey. And most of all, I love it when I look up and see my family, Rachel, and friends at races.

As I close out my 2013 season, I have to say thanks to everyone who supports me. Of course Honey Stinger, Trek, and Bontrager who truly make it possible for me to compete at a high level.

Thanks to my family and Rachel - who give 100% support. It's a selfish sport and requires a lot. My family have stepped up in a huge way any time I've needed help with travel and moral support. And Rachel, who has helped me step up my ice cream intake... and has been ultra patient with my long stories of training rides and races.

Now it's time to kick back, eat some cheeseburgers, and do some casual mountain biking to take in the fall colors...

Happy New Year! (time to brush up on my non-existant French!)

I've got a great excuse for not showing this blog any love lately. (and it's not only the holidays...) There's been a lot going on, but since this is geared more towards cycling I'll keep it reigned in.

I'll start by saying I'm learning a new sport, (swimming) and I'm completely awful at it. It's not that I would drown if thrown into a pool before I started, but I didn't have any form. I've been working at this for a couple months now and I actually hit a milestone over Christmas when I was able to swim laps without stopping. This, however, doesn't mean I'm good on any level, but it's so fun. I've also been running a lot, too. Ever since I started feeling better after the back injury I'm really focusing on not taking my health for granted. (More on that in a second) All of this cross training coupled with my normal time on the bike has me feeling good about the approach to 2013. I'm almost dialed with the schedule for the season, which might include a couple surprises.

Before the season gets underway I'll be heading to Spain for a week followed by a drive along the coast to Nice, France for a month-long stay there. Rachel and I decided we would commit to getting acquainted in a foreign land so we rented an apartment for an entire month. It's going to be an interesting journey and I imagine a very fun and adventurous one! I'll be training in the mornings and diving into work at night when the US wakes up. I'll be updating this blog with photos and reports from the French Riviera.

As mentioned above, I have a quick something to say about back injuries. More specifically, disc injuries. Since everyone is totally different, I must say I have no business giving any advice. I would, however, like to share my story for those who google, 'back injury successful recovery' like I did when I was desperate to hear something good. In fact, my next blog will be dedicated to this so it will be easier for people to find. I cringe when I see people posting about their injures and whatnot, so I'm reluctantly adding a photo of my MRI as a reference for where I was in June of last year.

I feel very fortunate I've been able to come out of the pain I was in last year, but the reality is that I'll never be 100% safe from another episode. As of today, I've been able to train at full capacity with zero pain. I can tell when I push it close to overdoing it, but I feel great. I've worked my ass off to get here, but man it's worth it.

Here's to a happy and healthy new year to you all!

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