One of my gracious sponsors, Greg Hudson, the co-owner and founder of Corsa Concepts, conducted an interview with me to catch up with my season thus far. It should fill you up to date:
- What have you been up to lately (on or off the bike)?
Recovering. This year I'm learning the fine art of sculpting one's life to completely intersect with racing. This consists of building stability, a life platform, that allows total focus on racing.
(Examples of recovery between races: sleeping and stretching. There you go. Easy as that. Recovery is more important that training. Actually, let me rephrase: Recovery IS training)
- How are your seasons goals coming along?
This year has been wild. A lot of my goals (because of reasons answered in the next question) are not objective. They are more inner goals; i.e. How do I reformulate my life to obtain the long-term goal of making bike racing into a consistent career. I'm letting go of short-term goals in order to ensure more satisfying long-term goals. What this means is: this season may not be full of results, but it will lead to many more seasons of racing at higher and higher levels in the sport where wins are bigger and more rewarding.
- What are you most disappointed with so far this season?
Last October I signed my first Pro Contract, a two year deal, and then the team imploded five months into the season with no warning. This was a huge setback, but ultimately became a challenge to overcome. In many ways, it was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to re-set and truly scrutinize what I want out of cycling and what the sport means to me. Luckily, the end result was a renewed passion for the sport and a magnified zeal to conquer.
- What are you most excited by this season?
To race. All I want to do is race. With all the set-backs and challenges this season I really have begun to appreciate how much of a opportunity racing is. I want to race harder races, higher caliber races, I want to constantly step up my game and get my ass handed to me in races that are over my head. This is how you get fast. I find no use in doing races you know you can win.
- Anything big coming up?
Elite Time Trial National Championships. Last year I got second. This year there is only one result I want. Besides that, I want to race as many NRC stage races as possible so I can get my legs firing the way I want them too. This year is all about workload, that way next year physiologically and psychologically I will be ready to slay. I'm also doing a heavy track schedule to pay the bills. Last year I won the overall ATRA National Track Race series. It would be nice to defend that whilst boosting my road campaign as well.
- Best movie you've seen lately? Any tv shows you're addicted to?
What's a TV? Is it like a type of book or something? Because, I've been reading a lot of good books. I've been on a Jack London kick for a while: White Fang, Call of the Wild, To build a Fire. All savage tales of bad-ass-ery.
- Do you feel like anyone has ever touched your wheels in a sexually or otherwise inappropriate manner? If so, what did you do?
I recently acquired a new set of Corsa Concept deep-dish track wheels. Out of honesty, I introduced them to my girlfriend. At first she was jealous of the attention I was giving them. But, later that week she asked if we could invite the wheels over for dinner and see where things go. I told her it's fine, that I'm okay with it, as long as the wheels just lean in the corner spinning slowly. She asked to rotate them faster on the ceramic bearings. It felt right so I went with it. With so much carbon strung on the perfectly tensioned spokes it was hard to deny. Now, without hesitation, the wheels have become a part of our personal life. Both her and I have a renewed energy. Life is so much crisper now that we've opened up our lives to Corsa Concepts.
To end this interview I leave you with the noise that leaks through my blood stream: Fury.
If you don't step out of your limits of safety, then something is terribly, terribly wrong in your life.
