You know who you are….

My homie,

You’ve been on my mind since this weekend’s frolics in Frisco. The discouragement in your face was seen….and it will pass. Bike racing is hard. You know that as you’ve been doing this way too long for me to even say those words. People like us who throw a leg over a saddle are not like the rest of society. We’re freaks. It’s not enjoyable for most of humanity to straddle a little seat and pedal up a hill let alone pedal a twitchy carbon fiber machine over rough terrain while piloting it directly at wooden obstacles…

At speed.

For you, it is not about discipline. I see it in most every core aspect of your life. You live the D word. And that level of discipline is astonishing. You don’t fear hard work as I’ve been with you when we train and you hurt me…

At will.

Every race is not won, yet every race has a winner. You need to find comfort in that juxtaposition. Every race has got to be a lesson but to receive the race’s message to you, you have to see it all the way through. You have to keep focused on…

your ride

your race

your focus

Rolling through the finish and hitting stop on your watch is the moment you take that race and use it like a brick in your foundation of strength. Regardless of where you end up you’ll know what you need to do next time.

Cleaner.

Smarter.

Faster.

Your foundation is just being built. I’ve personally seen some of the bricks you’ve laid and not all are from races. They are the episodes of how you felt and what you know you are capable of. Smiles are just around the corner man if you can see this through. One race at a time. It is inexplicably hard to race here and I can tell you first hand having wanted to hurl my bikes in the Boulder Creek and start competitive Beer Funneling as a sport of the future to transition into.

Get complete my friend. Finish strong for you and absolutely nobody else. Take comfort that your friends watch and observe and care. We’re willing you.

Don’t quit, boy.