The Long Hard Road

Not so much a race report... report:

I bought a Norco Jubei 5 years ago after waking up one night with chest pains. I realized how far I had fallen from my years before where I played rugby and any other contact sport.

My first ride, I made it to the end of my street, and I thought... holy s#!t, what am I doing. The next day, I did 5k. Eventually 20km rides were the norm. Then one day I just went out and went till I was exhausted, and came home, thinking "who does this".

I joined a 24h team for HAN after 3 months of riding a bike. On my pre ride, I kept saying to myself "Man you are way out of your league". Every lap that I left on, I felt heavier and heavier. My legs just that much harder to turn over. During my 4th lap, I came across a rider who had blown a pedal. Since I had no clue what to bring with me each lap.. I brought 2 of them. I handed them off. "Thanks Clyde", and I was on my way. ... Clyde?

After the race when I finished my 4th lap I found a quiet place while eating my 3rd McChico, I let the absolution of accomplishment wash over me. It was a rush of emotions.

During the winter, I read up on a few races and bought myself a trainer and did what I could. During this time a friend of mine told me about a buddy who did this race called Paris To Ancaster, and it had a class for big guys... I signed up within an hour.

And I got schooled... it was the hardest thing I've ever done. It was painful, unforgiving. I was bleeding, muddy and in shock. But I finished that sum*****, and the feeling of accomplishment returned, and I was hooked on racing. In the rain, you couldn't see the tears, but I was a proud man, and I resolved myself to get on that podium. It became a consuming goal.

Over the years, I've trained, lost, trained, had mechanicals, trained, got beat, trained harder, crashed... and every year this race would be a burr in my mind for 365 days until my next crack at it.

During that time, I've met a lot of you here. Some in passing, some in racing, and some have become ShlT talking buddies. But any meeting I've had with anyone has been positive, and the words of encouragement got me back on my bike when I figured it was time to just give up.

So yes, I got on the podium yesterday, and yes, it took me 5 years to get to 2nd place. My incredible wife and family's patience with me has been extraordinary and I will remind myself of this daily.

But to my ECMTBR friends, if ever our paths crossed, thank you for being awesome.

So yesterday, after being on the podium, I found myself in a quiet spot, eating my 3rd orange... and the feeling of accomplishment washed over me for the first time in 5 years after my first P2A.