It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn

November 15, 2011

Things can't go right or smooth all the time because then you wouldn't appreciate when it is going smooth or right.  Adversity is what makes us stronger, to force us to think outside of the box, to really let us know what we're made of.

We entered a dark period around here when we got back from Fort Collins.  I certainly won't go into the gritty details, but it involved unsuccessful house searches, lots of sickness and too much work and stress for proper training.  And the stress involved has shown it's ugly head in the rides and results.  Mike has always had the unique ability to "fake it", but cyclocross is different.  I dare you to try to fake it in cyclocross.  Good luck with that.

It's been hard to watch Mike suffer so much because I know what he is capable of, but I honestly don't know how he even does as well as he does with all of the travel and work.  So...we work a plan.  If Plan A isn't working, we switch to Plan B.  If Plan B doesn't work, then we formulate a Plan C.  Well, we're about at Plan M and we're going to see how this goes.

Mike flew home the night before the Cincy 3 weekend after a no training week due to the snow storm they had in Denver that week.  We trucked off to Java Johnny's on Saturday to give it a go.  After an awesome breakthrough 13th place ride for Ian in the 2/3, Mike took to the course.  He hung tough and by the skin of his fingernails stayed with the front group of 8 and took 5th.  He was tired, but looked like the form was still hanging on.  But then Harbin Park.  That course is just a killer.  If you haven't been riding, it shows.  And it did.

Ian heading to 13th place in the 2/3 at Java Johnny's

Mike hangs onto the lead group at Java Johnny's

Mike sprints to 5th place at Java Johnny's

Mike suffers like a dog at Harbin Park

USGP week brought snot, phlegm and coughing.  Pushing the body too hard tends to accelerate any illness you may have and Mike had it.  He had a decent point lead going into the weekend, but we knew that Tim Butler would be putting the pressure on because the last stop of the series is in his home state and he yearns for that jersey.  It was another week of easy riding, the older body just not able to push any kind of intervals.

The schedule for the Louisville USGP changed just a bit and Ian, Mike and Cate were racing back to back to back.  Whoever said that racing in your own town is easier is just plain crazy.  As hard as ADMIN tried, my troops were a total mess.  Mike missed his callup the first day and went to the line with no number. (Thanks to Bill Marshall for saving the day!)  Cate forgot her shoes on Saturday and Ian lost his shoes and helmet before Sunday's race.  ADMIN was so very close to just giving up, but somehow all of the problems solved themselves and things moved forward.

Ian had another breakthrough weekend finishing 22nd and 20th in the very competitive 2/3 category.  He seems to be the only one on track at the moment, but as he gets older, I am working harder and harder to make him more responsible for his own race day and it is painful to say the least.  I look at the 17-18 year olds and know he will mentally get there, but going to the race knowing you don't have your shoes and helmet and that you have to solve your own problem is very important lesson.  And these lessons have to happen so that he can have those all important "A-HA" moments.  3 more hairs turned gray Sunday morning.

Ian riding to a 22nd place in the 2/3 category at Day 1 USGP - Derby City Cup

Mike had just an okay race on Saturday.  Winning a race at home is important, but for us, it is the big picture/end game that we are focusing on.  So with that in mind and with Mike's fitness being what it is, he knew that he just had to stay with Tim.  And he did until he had to dismount in the uphill sand and lost contact.  He chased and didn't make headway, but Tim bridged to Fred Rose who had been riding at the front with Jon Card.  Tim ended up 2nd and Mike 4th.  It put Tim within 12 points of equaling Mike's points and taking the jersey.  And Tim, who I adore, knew the point spread and told me exactly what he needed to do to take that jersey on Sunday.  He was very aware of what it was going to take to snatch it.

The start of Saturday's Elite 45+ from the top of the World on Larry's Camper

Mike passing Waldeck at the front of the race early

Mike staying with Tim.  Jon would end up winning the race, Fred 2nd.

Gulp!  My sister went into labor and I had to go to Lexington on Sunday to be with her.  So with everything on the line, I wasn't able to be there to watch the race on Sunday.  Mike had not been positive that morning, so I was really not sure how it would go.  Luckily my friend Marcia Seiler knew of my predicament in a hospital in Lexington and hooked me up with update calls and texts throughout the entire race.  I quickly explained to her the point spread and passed on words of encouragement to yell out to Mike.  Messages were he was 4th, he was 6th, Tim is up the road, he's catching up, he's dropping back.   It was pure torture!!  Jon, Tim and Fred were on the front and Mike had dropped back to the next group on the last lap.  When I heard he was 6th, I knew the jersey was gone.  I literally told Marcia "It's Over" and knew he had to do something miraculous to pull this out of his ass.

And then comes Wayne Simon.  Mike was in a group with Wayne a big handful of seconds back.  At some point in the last lap Wayne laid it down to bridge to the front.  Mike went with him and hung on.  When they hit the technical section in the woods, Mike went around him and gave it one last dig.  Out of the depths of his bowels, Mike crossed the line 4th.  Jon had outsprinted Tim for the win.  With the final point tally, Mike was still in the jersey by 2 points.  I was spent by the end of the race and nearly asked my sister to move over in the hospital bed so that I could lay down.

Ian rides to 20th place on Sunday in the 2/3s

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The start of Sunday's 45+ Elite    Photo: Marcia Seiler

Pulling it out of his backside    Photo: Marcia Seiler

Mike holds onto the Exergy 45+ Elite Jersey going into Bend

So, now we have time to get Plan M moving, get Mike well and get some decent training in the legs before Bend next month.  And we have even more time to get all cylinders firing by Nationals and Masters Worlds.  But first, we're going on vacation.  A week on the beach in North Carolina to "sharpen the saw" as it were.  On vacation, ADMIN will be able to get the next phase of planning under way.  We had held back on registering for Masters Worlds because Mike had seriously considered over the last few weeks to hang it up for the season, but would that really be an option?  No, not really.  This is a big part of who we are as a family unit.  We love it.  It's what we do and we know he won't be able to do it forever.  You have to grab these opportunities when you can because when they're gone, they're gone.

So with that decision to continue and with the USGP jersey going into the final stop in Bend, we are renewed and can see the sun rising on the rest of the season.  Hopefully the dark days are over.

L

Special notes:

USGP Louisville is special.  Despite our personal struggles, I had so much fun with all of our friends locally and from around the country.  We weren't able to host anyone this year due to our living situation, but thankfully the Seilers took over our duties and took care of Danny Summerhill for us.

A special thank you to John and Lois Haley for hosting an incredible night and meal for a lot of the 17-18 year old competitors and their families, as well as Mitch Hoke, Brady Kappius and Danny.  It was nice to get to meet the boys and their parents - so many lessons to learn from parents whose kids are at the next level.

Thank you also to JoAnn and Dan Santos for hosting all of the Red Zone girls and Georgia Gould at their house for dinner Saturday night.  Our girls love Georgia (despite all the heckling) and set up their Georgia Gould fan club on the river again this year.

And then despite the on course rivalry between Tim and Mike, we have really been blessed to get to know him and his wife Sue.  Sunday night we had dinner with them and "On Your Left Drew" as we call him, and got to talk lots of smack and compare scars. 

Big continued thanks to Mike's team, Bob's Red Mill and Ian and Cate's team, Red Zone Cycling abd all of their teammates for all their help and keeping them all grounded.   And then of course all of our sponsors!!

But the most important of all:  My niece, Ella Catherine, was born on Sunday at 3:55pm in perfect health.  Brighter days indeed!!

Love those little hands.  Future CX racer??

Till next time...