Thanks Cycling.

Right now I'm torn between selling my bike and thinking of riding again, not racing but merely tooling around some usual loops. On one side I'm scared that the bike will aggravate the issues I've been dealing with and I'll be back in the hole, unable to do a lot in terms of being active but on the other side i do enjoy the ease of mobility and transportation the bike affords. Regardless i doubt it will be any time soon.

I think it was February i definitively decided to quit racing. I can remember that because Erich was headed to Ranger training and we were drinking, blathering on about what ever melodramatic thought that popped into our heads that seems epic and important at our young age. (really it was just me going on about injuries, self-importance, with him just listening).

In the larger picture of life, quitting racing after 4-5yrs isn't very big, but for something that occupied 1/5th of my life, that wholly consumed me and isolated me from everything and everyone that were once important, in that regard it is, because now things are wide open. Once that decision had been made, i wrote a list of things i can now do, it sort of looked like this...

1. Get a dog
2. Grow my hair out (on my head...but the legs too)
3. Donate blood
4. Go running
5. Weight lifting
6. Complete more of the AT and the 46 peaks of the Adirondacks

This list is much more specific, a whole lot longer, and generally a bit amusing, but it accentuates the importance and self obsession i had with racing and training on the bike and the lack of time i had for just about anything or anyone else.

In addition to that i often used cycling, the training and racing, as an excuse to be more particular with my choice of activities. The excuses were somewhat true, i did have a race the next day, or i truly couldn't afford to be on my feet all day and dancing around in the sun because it would "trash" my legs and the isolation and dedication to training would have been for naught. But, i would be a liar if i didn't say i was happy (at the time) to avoid a lot of social activities and interactions.

I'd hate to go on further and make it sound like i was alone while i was training and racing, that i had not made close friends, people who i care about and admire. Because i have made friendships with a lot of people, people who i respect and i hope my self-expulsion from the racing scene doesn't distance those relationships too much. Naturally the lack of training rides and racing will be distancing, so i guess we'll see.

There is more positive to take away and that is i lost a lot of weight and developed a new affection for healthy eating. I recall prior to my commuting to work via bike that i would often indulge in a big 20oz (or 1.liter) of coke before noon which i followed up at lunch with another and for a afternoon snack maybe a 3rd paired with random candy bar, and all that's in addition to 5 Guys burgers w/fries or a plethora of other severely unhealthy lunch choices and snacks along the way. I still enjoy a burger every now and again, but certainly not to the indulgence level of years past.

With all that said, thanks to cycling for helping me to get back in shape and meet a lot of new very awesome people. For now i'll be doing yoga, running and getting my body back into an upright and healthy position.

My first race ended with me 2nd. The 3rd rider (Kyle Knott) pipped me at the line. Of course it rained and snowed my first ever bike race...

My last race ended with me 4th. Died after going at around 500m out. I seemed to be always decent but never really good.

One of my more fun racing experiences, solely due to my 2 teammates

Another picture from that race series. A very cool moment with 1 or 2 to go.

Though despite all the cool racing and pictures to go along with it, i dont have many if any pictures from my favorite times on the bike- early Sunday mornings and every Wednesday evening. Those were the best, the people and the rides.