As a new racer, the NJ Time Trial Series is a good place for me to start. I especially like this race category because by its very nature a Time Trial (TT) allows you to challenge yourself.
Reality smacks me into knowing I will never be Fabian Cancellara in an amateur NJ Time Trial, but there is something to be said about zoning into a mentality that connects with a cyclist at his level. Fabian is the best in the world when it comes to TTs. He’s won Olympic medals and holds world records. He is so fast and powerful that last year a wacky claim made by a former pro cyclist turned TV commentator accused him of having a motor on his bike. His response: “Scan me, I am the motor.”
Oh yeah, and he’s so cool, he’s hot as hell.
Fabian is what Peyton Manning is to a high school quarterback or what Eddie Vedder is to a lead singer in a local bar band. To me Fabian is aspirational. If there were more of an appreciation for pro cycling in the US he’d be on a box of Wheaties. Watching him ride makes me want to go extra miles, climb longer hills and finish strong. It’s the kind of motivation that keeps you going even when your legs are burning to the point of feeling nauseous.
We all need someone or something to aspire to. We need to respect excellence in order to achieve it. If not we settle and become stale, slow and mediocre. I am fortunate to have found a great team when I joined Montclair Cyclists last August. They are an exceptionally talented group of riders and have also become great friends. I am learning a tremendous amount from riding and training with them. I love the team mentality. This is why I am a stronger rider today than I was a year ago and have the confidence to attempt a Time Trial series. And in three months I plan to be even stronger.
When you aspire and are willing to learn and grow, every ride will be better than the last one.
"Don't look back. You know what's going on back there because you just left." – Phil Liggett
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