Unlike 99% of my entries thus far this particular one is not about any race. I have not raced since cycling nats and instead have enjoyed my time graduating from college, hanging with friends, and being with family. The past couple years of my life have been consumed by racing and training and I must say, it has felt pretty good to not have any particular race that I am training for.
The past couple years I have learned some valuable lessons. One of the biggest is the importance of moderation. Oddly enough, this year in philosophy of Kinesiology class we were split into groups to examine and argue the importance of a particular Socratic virtue. My group got moderation. One of my best friends in my group, Darcy Hayes, and I laughed at the irony of us receiving such a word. To be quite honest I have never been one to practice moderation. Anything worth doing, for me is worth doing to excess. If running 50 miles makes you fast, why not run 80? If biking at 200 watts for 1.5 hours is a good workout why not try to do 225? Famous runner Steve Prefontaine has a famous quote that says "to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." What it has taken me so long to grasp, and I am still working on grasping is the importance of balance. This is something I have still yet to fully grasp, BUT, I have finally realized.
This is not to say that I have been sitting on my ass for the past couple of weeks. Last week Savage, Joa and I logged a good 4.5 hours on the bike. I have also been able to knock out some half way decent hour long runs. Hell, yesterday I, Gregory James Grosicki, dragged my ass to the gym to lift weights and swim (god it sucked).
I have also taken a few days off. I have taken the time to do "real people things" like work on car insurance, set up a bank account, fill out I-9's and W-4's. I have even memorized my address in North Carolina next year! On top of that I have gotten to visit with old friends and hang out with some friends from Williamsburg before we depart our separate ways for a while. I was able to travel to Annapolis to visit and reminisce with my good friend Charlie, a junior at the US Naval Academy. It really is incredible how he has matured since high school when he would skip the warm up laps on track to running marathons for fun. Now he is even trying to get me to do marathons and half-ironmans with him and I look forward to my first, Patriots Half in September with him! (Side note: this time of no racing has given me ALOT of time to think about racing and I am excited to get into half-ironmans and more endurance races in the future. I will be doing some racing in Colorado, and I dont just mean racing Kyle to the New Belgium Brewery, but have yet to find anything in particular.)
Exactly a week from today I will be sleeping in a tent as my best buddy Kyle Grimsley and I make our way to Fort Collins, Colorado for a summer of steam monitoring. Im not sure what exactly that entails, but Im guessing Ill figure out soon enough when Kyle throws me into his research project head first (just make sure the water is deep enough)=P
So now comes the part that you all expected. Now is the part where I thank everyone who has supported me over the past 22 years of my life. My parents and grandparents, my brother and sister, the rest of my family, my friends, my coaches. The members of the cycling club at William and Mary. I am incredibly fortunate to be privileged to have the support system throughout my life that I have had. It is your support that has kept me afloat and I am very grateful for it. I am excited about this summer in Fort Collins, and I will be posting pictures and keeping this blog updated with tales of our adventures!As always, thanks for reading and have a good night.
TRI THIS
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Collegiate Nationals Road Race
2 weeks ago as I sit in Sociology class I got a text. Being a senior and loving any distraction from talk of globalization and development I hastily scrambled to get the phone out of my pocket. It was from my good buddy Jacob Aber, a sophomore rider at Virginia Tech. "Going to Nats homie" it read. Well this was certainly better news then learning about how Wal-Mart was quickly replacing the nation-state with its influence over a countries population so quickly I began working on plans to get to the race. This was going to be awesome I thought.
Eventually after an afternoon of annoying Ben the president of Vtech and calling James McCabe, the president of Wake I had a plan worked out. Tuesday night I would drive up to tech to stay with my buddy Jacob and Wednesday morning I would board the van with tech for a 13 hour venture up to Madison Wisconsin. The first night I would stay by myself and the next I would share a room with Wake. This quest was possible, even for a college student that is basically broke!
Arriving at tech Tuesday night a little later than expected after being stuck in Richmond for nearly an hour at a stand still Jacob and I watched Mike B., another tech rider eat a half gallon of ice cream and had a few beers. We woke up the next morning to get in the van for a long days drive. We stopped at the infamous Hooters for lunch to show Tech's Italian exchange student, Edoardo, what this great american establishment was all about. After 5 more hours in the car we got out at a Wal-Mart for a sayg ride (slow as your grandma). We then feasted on some Chinese buffet and when we were done stuffing ourselves we again got back into the van for another 6 hours with Edoardo at the helm.
We got to the hotel at about 1am and I was told they had given my room away and would be putting me in the parlor with a roll-away. Sure I told them, as long as I get a discount. Overhearing the conversation Ben laughed that I was getting a closet. After being informed that she could not provide me a discount and asking me if this was acceptable I replied no thanks. Upgraded to governors palace. Place didnt suck. In the words of Jacob Aber (Jaber) the sheets were no bs Egyptian cotton, mad high thread count dawg. Dont ask why he slept in the bed with me and not his teamates. Were cool like that.
The next day we ventured off to the trek factory for a tour. #manynewpairsofpantsneeded. It was awesome. Saw mad cool bikes. Touched Lance's saddle, almost as good as touching his ass? Saw Contadors bike, I think I saw some contaminated steak in the bento box. After the tour we went to the course to ride. Unfortunately it was quite rainy so we decided driving would be better. Saw a few riders on the course and we were pretty glad we chose to take the day off. That night we went out to dinner at this wierd design your own pasta joint. It was good. The cheesy bread Ben and I split was awesome and totally unnecessary. After dinner we made our way to an ice cream joint where we found some pretty cute scoop girls. After harassing them with inquiries to their favorite flavors and being rejected we went to the liquor store to find Edoardo some grapa which he said would "aid in digestion" #shitsucks
The morning of the road race the sun was coming up and the riders waited anxiously. I got on the second line. That was sweet in a huge race. The neutral roll out was far from neutral as we made our way down the finishing 1.5 mile climb the smell of break pads filled the air...beautiful. The beginning of the race was loko. 1.5 miles downhill, 50mph, bumping #nothanks. Saw a guy from Denver eat mad shit as he went flying across the grass then nailing a tree. Guy in the D1 race hit the same tree, broken pelvis and punctured rib...fun. At the bottom of the hill I thought, 4 more times own that...SHIT. The difference between this race and all the others I had done was the pace. No let up. First lap I wanted a gu but waited till the second. The 1.5 mile climb at the end of each lap was my saving grace. I always finished in the top 20. Thats ok though as about 30 people would pass me on the downhill #ineedbiggerballs.
On the third lap of the race negative thoughts began finding their way into my mind. Quickly I jammed down a honey stinger waffle and then some accelerade that I got from a duke rider. I think the waffle stayed down. The accelerade...not so much. Throwing up blue is something usually you would go to the ER for. But the culprit in this case was clear. Im never drinking that vile liquid again. At the end of the third lap about 15 guys and I got away up the climb, unfortunately 14 stayed in a pack down the descent and I was not one of them fuck my descending skills. Luckily I was swept up by a chase that would end up catching them about 3 miles from the finish. About 30 of us were in a pack at the final climb with 1 rider off of the front. About 1 mile up the climb i went to shift into my lowest gear and dropped the chain. This is the worst feeling EVER. I tried to get it to catch but to no avail. I got off my bike and put the chain back on and began hammering up towards the riders ahead. I have put myself through alot but I speak the truth when I say I have never hurt this bad in my life. Never.
Final result: 24th in the nation. Feeling: pleased. Time to go to sleep. Crit tomorrow and I DID NOT DRIVE 18 hours to get pulled tomorrow. Im stoked. Go hard or go home.
Eventually after an afternoon of annoying Ben the president of Vtech and calling James McCabe, the president of Wake I had a plan worked out. Tuesday night I would drive up to tech to stay with my buddy Jacob and Wednesday morning I would board the van with tech for a 13 hour venture up to Madison Wisconsin. The first night I would stay by myself and the next I would share a room with Wake. This quest was possible, even for a college student that is basically broke!
Arriving at tech Tuesday night a little later than expected after being stuck in Richmond for nearly an hour at a stand still Jacob and I watched Mike B., another tech rider eat a half gallon of ice cream and had a few beers. We woke up the next morning to get in the van for a long days drive. We stopped at the infamous Hooters for lunch to show Tech's Italian exchange student, Edoardo, what this great american establishment was all about. After 5 more hours in the car we got out at a Wal-Mart for a sayg ride (slow as your grandma). We then feasted on some Chinese buffet and when we were done stuffing ourselves we again got back into the van for another 6 hours with Edoardo at the helm.
We got to the hotel at about 1am and I was told they had given my room away and would be putting me in the parlor with a roll-away. Sure I told them, as long as I get a discount. Overhearing the conversation Ben laughed that I was getting a closet. After being informed that she could not provide me a discount and asking me if this was acceptable I replied no thanks. Upgraded to governors palace. Place didnt suck. In the words of Jacob Aber (Jaber) the sheets were no bs Egyptian cotton, mad high thread count dawg. Dont ask why he slept in the bed with me and not his teamates. Were cool like that.
The next day we ventured off to the trek factory for a tour. #manynewpairsofpantsneeded. It was awesome. Saw mad cool bikes. Touched Lance's saddle, almost as good as touching his ass? Saw Contadors bike, I think I saw some contaminated steak in the bento box. After the tour we went to the course to ride. Unfortunately it was quite rainy so we decided driving would be better. Saw a few riders on the course and we were pretty glad we chose to take the day off. That night we went out to dinner at this wierd design your own pasta joint. It was good. The cheesy bread Ben and I split was awesome and totally unnecessary. After dinner we made our way to an ice cream joint where we found some pretty cute scoop girls. After harassing them with inquiries to their favorite flavors and being rejected we went to the liquor store to find Edoardo some grapa which he said would "aid in digestion" #shitsucks
The morning of the road race the sun was coming up and the riders waited anxiously. I got on the second line. That was sweet in a huge race. The neutral roll out was far from neutral as we made our way down the finishing 1.5 mile climb the smell of break pads filled the air...beautiful. The beginning of the race was loko. 1.5 miles downhill, 50mph, bumping #nothanks. Saw a guy from Denver eat mad shit as he went flying across the grass then nailing a tree. Guy in the D1 race hit the same tree, broken pelvis and punctured rib...fun. At the bottom of the hill I thought, 4 more times own that...SHIT. The difference between this race and all the others I had done was the pace. No let up. First lap I wanted a gu but waited till the second. The 1.5 mile climb at the end of each lap was my saving grace. I always finished in the top 20. Thats ok though as about 30 people would pass me on the downhill #ineedbiggerballs.
On the third lap of the race negative thoughts began finding their way into my mind. Quickly I jammed down a honey stinger waffle and then some accelerade that I got from a duke rider. I think the waffle stayed down. The accelerade...not so much. Throwing up blue is something usually you would go to the ER for. But the culprit in this case was clear. Im never drinking that vile liquid again. At the end of the third lap about 15 guys and I got away up the climb, unfortunately 14 stayed in a pack down the descent and I was not one of them fuck my descending skills. Luckily I was swept up by a chase that would end up catching them about 3 miles from the finish. About 30 of us were in a pack at the final climb with 1 rider off of the front. About 1 mile up the climb i went to shift into my lowest gear and dropped the chain. This is the worst feeling EVER. I tried to get it to catch but to no avail. I got off my bike and put the chain back on and began hammering up towards the riders ahead. I have put myself through alot but I speak the truth when I say I have never hurt this bad in my life. Never.
Final result: 24th in the nation. Feeling: pleased. Time to go to sleep. Crit tomorrow and I DID NOT DRIVE 18 hours to get pulled tomorrow. Im stoked. Go hard or go home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)