Unfinished Business and Catharsis

I did my first road bike race last July. It was the 'B' race at Bryan Park--a Richmond institution and fantastic training race (also home to the State Crit this Sunday). Having developed a satisfactory level of fitness for the first time in 6 years, I thought I was going to win, but I finished 8th or so. Shortly thereafter I did my first real crit and road race in Blacksburg, placing 4th in the Cat 5 crit and 2nd in the road race. That's how it began for me a little less than a year ago, and in less than two weeks I'm going to be racing in one of the most prestigious stage races in the US--the Nature Valley Grand Prix--through the Nature Valley Pro Ride!

Here's the look I went with that day in Blacksburg:

As most kids do, I learned to ride a bike when I was young. But, I continued to ride a bike. I never did it for fitness. When I was young, I didn't really get the concept of exercise as enjoyment. What I did understand was ripping the sick BMX jumps at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle. I spent a lot of time hucking the gnar in elementary and middle school. I eventually moved to mountain biking and did a few age group cross country races in middle school. I was pretty stoked on it, but then high school happened.

At the behest of my father, a Georgetown track and cross country alumnus, I decided to isolate all that I hated about soccer practice and pursue that component as a sport in of itself. I joined the cross country team my freshmen year of high school. The bike found the back of the garage soon after that. Once I was convinced that I would be good at running, I wanted to give it a shot. Looking back on it now though, I really fought the sport at first. It took me a long time to appreciate the joy, and frustration, that can be found in endurance sports. I often scoffed at training and managed disappointment in an unproductive manner. Despite some underlying immaturity, I managed to win the Washington State Cross Country Championship, run 15:20 for 5k XC, 9:11 for the 2-mile, and 4:16 for the mile. I was given the opportunity to run at various high-quality Division I programs before settling on the University of Washington. Closing out my senior year, I placed 2nd and 3rd in the state 2-mile and mile respectively. I missed my goal of running a sub 9-minute 2-mile and winning the state championships. This was devastating to me, and I reacted by not lacing up my shoes the entire summer before my first collegiate season.

State mile race senior year--I'm in yellow/green

By this point, I had been convinced by results and those around me of my talent level, so I wasn't worried about strolling to training camp freshmen year completely unprepared. Hubris didn't suit me well, as I was only able to fake it for so long. I ran 25:21 for 8k in my first cross country race. I couldn't hold it together after that and battled tendonitis issues for the rest of that season. I wasn't able to train with any consistency until the fall of my sophomore year. Just as I was finding a rhythm, the same tendonitis issue crept up again. I spent my sophomore year with doctors and trainers attempting to figure out why I was having recurring tendonitis, but I ended up walking away from the sport my sophomore year. It was a very disappointing end, because I had finally learned to appreciate the sport and I was ridiculously hungry to compete.

My first collegiate race

After leaving the team, I moved to Jackson Hole for the summer. I had wanted to live in a mountain town for years. I fly fished, climbed, hiked, and yes cycled a bunch that summer. I bought my first rode bike and quickly found myself loving it. At the end of the summer I returned to school. I started to consider racing the bike, but I was never satisfied with my fitness. My confidence had been shot. I made one last big effort to get back into running. I drove to Portland every couple weeks to work with a doctor that consulted the Nike team. I connected with my dad's high school coach. It wasn't to be though, as I never shook nagging tendonitis. My remaining college years were mostly absent of exercise, and I turned to fly fishing. That's a story for another day...

I moved to Richmond for a job opportunity right after college. Desk life quickly caught up to me, and I gained 20 pounds in the first year. I experienced a different world here my first few years and had a blast, but I didn't feel fulfilled or wholly alive. Last May, upon returning from an amazing trip to Central America, I decided I wanted to eat healthier and lose weight. I went on the first diet of my life and began to mix running, weight lifting, and cycling. Having lost some weight, I started to feel fit again. With a greater level of maturity and having learned from the past, I decided to enter a 5k. I ran 16:32 and was blown away. I never thought I'd see this side of 20min again. I was only running a couple days each week, and I really didn't want to fool with potential injury again. I also thought I had a good shot at being better at cycling. Enter Bryan Park.

After racing in August and September, I couldn't find enough races to enter. I was seeking out running races, cycling races, races to the watercooler...I think I raced my neighbors cat to my my car one morning. I bought a cyclocross bike and quickly made it to Cat 2. While I couldn't turn the damn thing, I was quickly realizing I was getting my engine back. I was having an unfair amount of fun. I raced 'cross into December, took a little time off, then got back after training in January. I tried to squeeze in 10-12 hours each week on the bike, but it was not easy with work and no daylight. Having hinted at potential in running, I had a very deep desire and hunger to see where I could take things. I never got that answer in running, and it's eaten at me for the past 6 years. I remember coming to tears watching the Footlocker Nationals race on TV one day--yea, that's some heavy stuff right there.

I'm very hungry to deal with this unfinished business, and in addition to making me feel incredibly alive, it's been a cathartic experience. It's also been incredible to have a positive impact on others through racing. I'm excited to share more about my season-to-date and my experience over the next few weeks leading up to and at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Stay tuned!

My first season of 'cross and my first bike team (Team TOMS Shoes / KindHuman)