So many notable things have happened in the past few weeks, all of which are positively memorable.
Life can be a bit of a roller coaster. There are certain things that can simply make life better. I’m talking about those special times when the sky seems bluer, music sounds better, and even the taste of food is intensified. I’ve kind of been at the top of the roller coaster for the past three weeks.
Ironically, this peak all started by deciding to skip a bike race. While the Tour of Washtenaw was a very well suited race for my skill set, I opted to nominate this weekend to our wedding shower. Despite the preconceived ideas that this estrogen charged ritual is simply for women, I must admit I had a great time. My groomsmen were present to help carry gifts and to also knock back a few bowls of loud mouth soup with me. Afterward, we invited the entire wedding party and their families back to our house for a party. Much fun was had by all and I never once thought about the racing I had sacrificed for this moment. If this experience is a small glimpse into how fun July 30th will be at Boyne Mountain, we are all in for a real treat.
May 18th marked my brother Dons birthday. It was also the third time I’ve had to celebrate it without him. While he is no longer here, I spent the day thinking about him and was content that I could still feel his presence. Needless to say, I went to Waterford that night armed with some intrinsic motivation to honor my brother’s life through my racing. The evening’s conditions were miserable. It was cold and rainy at the start and the spray from the peloton’s wheels made it very challenging to see up the road or judge distance well. I told my fellow teammates that night that I really wanted to win the race. Don must have been with us as we claimed 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th place and managed to all finish a race that 1/3rd of the field threw the towel in on.
As I crossed the line in first place that day, I threw my hands up and pointed to the sky. It was a cathartic moment for me and albeit a midweek training race, it is a memorable finish that I’ll hold onto the rest of my life.
This past weekend I raced the Tour of Frankenmuth. Because of conflicting MTB events in the past I hadn’t raced this race since 2007 in which I had a very marginal finish and remember having had a very difficult time in the crosswind sections. However, 2011 marked a banner year for me in this little German town.
The race was an exciting one as it never really calmed down and there were always moves being made from the gun. Five minutes into the race I found myself in a 4 man breakaway for the entire first lap. I proceeded to pay for this effort the next two laps and did not feel very well at all. I went into the race sick, but as Ray says, “It doesn’t matter how well you feel that day, if they go up the road, you still need to go”. The race continued to ramp up with many attacks from the Carbon Racing Team. With about 7 miles to go, the field eventually came back together. However, I didn’t think I had too much left in me at that point to make something happen. Then, with about 5 more miles remaining, a move went up the road that I was fortunate to put myself in. It contained Ryan Cross (former teammate and now of Panther Pro Cycling), Brian Adams (One of Michigan’s finest long standing accomplished racers), Brian Crosby (Black line Racing) and Brian Batke (Carbon Racing). For the next five miles we pulled hard enough to stay away and the race came down to a sprint finish. Although the sprint was downhill it was into a headwind. Knowing Ryan Cross was probably the best finisher of the bunch I decided to tuck into his wheel. With about 100m to go I came around him and threw my hands up in complete surprise. In the background I could hear the amplification of Tony Bruley’s voice announcing the race and yelling my name over and over.
After the race Tony interviewed me. Our dialogue went a little something as follows:
Tony: Tim, you are a very accomplished mountain biker but seem to have a great season going on the road this year. Is road your main focus this season?
Me: To be honest with you Tony, my main focus this year is simply getting married. There have been a lot of summers of Tim in the past; this summer is the summer of Angela.
This really sums it up I suppose. I am very happy with the way my season is going; I have six wins total now. However, my most important priority is getting married and beginning my foundation for a family. I love bike racing. I feel it in my soul and it is a burning passion of mine. I plan to do it for as long as my body will physically allow me to.
Lately, the sky has been all the more blue, music just sounds all the more sweet, and I’m very content with my life. But bike racing has not been the main cause of this. Racing will never love you or care for you or be with you by your side in your worst of times. In the end, love is the most important thing. I have come to the realization though, that bike racing makes me a better person and in the end allows me to love all the more.
Thanks for reading.
