Training and racing have been consuming physical and mental stores; this update is far past due. As I reflect on the past month, I cannot help but relate my experiences with the book Outliers. As the entertainment for the drive to Marquette's Ore to Shore, Outliers, written by Malcolm Gladwell, describes how the highest levels of success are reached.
Gladwell brings the reader on a journey with Canadian hockey players, The Beatles, Bill Gates, and physicist, Robert Oppenheimer, to illustrate that there is more to success than innate ability. It should go without saying, I am not comparing myself to these successful people. However, I think most athletes can relate and I would highly recommend the book.
Success, according to Gladwell, is any combination of the idiosyncrasies of selection, the "10-thousand hour" rule, one's environment, and opportunities.
100 meters to go, the last paved section before the big left to the line, I needed one last acceleration. Loaded and cramping, I crossed the line a bike length up for an 18th place finish. I warmed up for Ore to Shore on a trainer just behind the preferred start section. The start was fast, I was not. My legs showed up about a quarter way up the first climb, a bit too slow for the lead group. The remainder of the race was a combination of attacks and a team time trial. Overall, another great weekend in the UP. A big thanks to "Big Mike G" for the hospitality, Lindsey and Chase for the race support, OTR for the carbon, Matt O'Meara for the dance, and Mikey P. for the napkin!
The Border Battle, my hometown race, and my first WORS race of the season was a great time. GOOOOOOOOOOOO! We were racing up the fisrt jeep climb. The course was a fast buffet of singletrack coupled with two legit climbs. KORC has done some amazing trail work this year. They deserve mad props for the improved course! I ended up finishing 9th. I am happy with the result, but I'm hoping a more rigorous race schedule will lead to some speed before Fattire.
See you at the races!
Respect.
Chad
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