I recently had dinner with a former student of mine who is now a soon to be Cat. 1 and racing for the Independent Fabrication Elite Team. I can remember when I met him. He was a scrawny 14 year old with moppy hair and a generous spirit. I was beginning my career as a teacher after many years in the business world. We instantly connected over cycling. He hadn’t yet ridden much, but was eager to start.
The following spring, once he had purchased a road bike, we began to ride together after school. I could tell his passion and dedication to the sport was growing rapidly, much faster than his development. I thoroughly enjoyed those early rides, because it was so easy to put him in to difficulty.
He was eager to begin racing, signing up for a mixture of junior and Cat. 5 events during the spring of his junior year. Racing offered a steep learning curve as it does to all but the insanely talented. We would debrief the various mishaps and mistakes that befell us both as we continued to ride together in the afternoons. I could see he was discouraged but truly enamored with the sport. We raced together once that summer and thankfully I was the victor.
The following year my time for cycling took a bit of a hit and I fell away from the sport. My student disappeared to Spain for the spring semester of his senior year. Of course he took his bike. When he returned, his form was unbelievable. To say he improved would be a serious understatement. I wasn’t riding much, but we did talk a lot. I followed his race schedule and started to notice how his results were improving. He was racing in the cat 4s then and racking up the points.
In September of that year, I happened to look at the results from stages 1 and 2 of the Green Mountain Stage Race. We had not spoken much during the summer, but there his name was atop the Cat. 4 results. He was leading the race! GMSR is a brutal race if you are not familiar with it. I was astonished.
I made sure I was there for the last stage, the Burlington Criterium. As luck would have it, he flatted with 4 to go and ended up in third overall. I was bummed for him, but watching that race ignited the passion for cycling that had all but disappeared from my own life. I went home and got on my bike.
Ever since then, I have been accumulating the hours on my bike. I upgraded to Cat 3 last year and had the opportunity to race with my former student once again. It was a very hilly race and a very hot day. My form was good, but the course was tough with a long climb right in the middle. I had a good race, finishing with the gruppetto about 10 minutes behind behind the lead group of super lean 20 year olds. As I crossed the finish line, my student was there clapping and expressing a massive grin. “How’d you do,” I asked as I collapsed on to the ground. “I won!” he answered. “For real,” I countered. “For real.”
Over lunch we exchanged every detail of the race. He had executed his plan beautifully. I was amazed at how far he’d come. I was also more motivated than ever. That season was probably my best ever. In many ways, I owe it to this former student. It seems he has always been there in some way to remind me how great the sport of cycling is. He never complains about the training or the crappy conditions New England can offer. He loves it, just loves it.
This past weekend he coaxed me into a ride in 20 degree temps. I don’t think I have ridden in 20 degree temps before. I always deferred to the basement during the long Vermont winters. He talked me out of it. There I was Saturday riding with the UVM boys with every article of cycling gear I owned shielding me from the elements. I could not believe I was outside riding in January. I kept thinking, I may actually have a base this year. This is unbelievable. With my new found appreciation for cold weather riding, I went out again the following day.
This season I am launching a new masters team, a coaching business, and a cycling journal. I have a lot invested in the upcoming season to say the least. Staying motivated is key. I draw my motivation from commitments I have made to my team members, my clients, my family, and myself. Heck, I even draw a little motivation from a guy my age trying to win another Tour de France. I am continually mindful of the fact that investing in and committing to others will reciprocate at the most important times, times when I need a little push. I wish you the best in 2010 and I ask you, “Where does your motivation come from?”