Heroes and Friends

So I have been really slacking on blog entry’s, 7 cross races into the season and this is maybe the second entry. This season so far I have proven I am not in cross shape. This is several different types of shape, and I am not referring to square or round. The shapes I am referring to is shapes like, mountain, track, road, crit, and cross. Each discipline requires different types of fitness, and abilities. Cross requires a 30-60 minute all out effort. You can not slow, you can not be weak, you must be near or at your redline for the either race. Do not forget that at the end of the time, you must be able to push yourself beyond your redline and sprint all out until you either finish or blow up and lick your wounds as you cross the finish line.

While I have licked my wounds, I have also finished with some strength left; this post is not about that. This post is about some changes in my thinking.

Some heroes come and go from your life, but if you’re lucky enough you can call some heroes your friends. Recently I was able to travel away to a 3 day race out of state. On this trip I realized my heroes have changed the older I am getting. I have been around cycling enough to run into several pros. Most pros will say hi when you talk to them, but few are willing to hold a conversation with you. Cyclocross is the one exception to this rule. This year I have been able to talk to many pros, not limited to, Tim Johnson, Todd and Troy Well, Jeremy Powers, and Katie Compton.

This past Sunday, while sitting on the hill watching the Men’s UCI race, I looked and saw Katie Compton, the 2007 US Women’s Cyclocross National Champion. She was sitting there watching the race, just like everyone else. If you didn’t know any better you wouldn’t know she just raced and won by over a minute. As she sat there, she interacted with everyone on the hill like a normal person. I also saw Jeremy Powers when he arrived take a picture, with his iphone, of his cone. This was not just any cone, but a cone that reserved his parking place at the race. It was very cool, and he was amazing to talk to.

But the one major thing I noticed is how my personal heroes have changed, and I never noticed. I can now call someone I know, someone who I spend the weekend with, someone whose house I have been in, someone whose phone number I have in my cell phone, one of my heroes. This person is super friendly, honest, and someone I believe I can truly call a friend. At times I think he is rather hard on himself. But to me he is pure pro. He does not act like one, he has no attitude, and he is not a pre-madonna. He is a normal guy, trying to live the dream. But he isn’t a normal guy, he is a pro. He is unbelievable strong, and smart. I wish I had the power he had, the loving wife who supports him and helps him out as much as she can. He is my hero, he is a pro, and most importantly I call him my friend.