Well, well, well, this is certainly not how I anticipated starting off my Olympic experience.

I can’t say much at this point simply because everything is scrutinized severely. It’s hard for me to not attach emotion to this, those of you who know me, know what I’m talking about, but what I will say is this,

“I am only doing what I perceive as best for my health and upcoming competition.  I, nor any of the other athletes involved were attempting to make a political statement of any sort. We meant no offense to the great host the Chinese have been and all appreciate the hard work and devotion they’ve displayed to provide this venue. We are honored to be here, and this has been a long time dream. The bottom line is that we are here to compete faster, higher, and stronger while doing so clean, brave, reverent, and courteous trying to represent our country in the best possible way.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I will continue to wear my mask where I deem fit. It’s my life and health in the long run, and I would never do something that would purposefully or intently harm the best interest or the public view of either my Country or other Countries in attendance.

I understand that the moment chosen to wear the masks directly off the plane may have been poor timing on our behalf. We are aware now of the image it portrayed, but as I stated in the NYTimes, If this had been a city in the US with any significant pollution level that might interfere with athletic performance, I would have done the same thing. Also, keep in mind that it’s not just “pollution” we are worried about, but also getting sick. All the the athletes here are in peak form, and everyone is susceptible to getting easily sick. It’s just a precautionary measure for the best performance come game day.”

I might have to get serious!

I may have to actually spell check, grammer check, and pay attention to the possible crowd that may read my random rants. I received a phone call from a reporter yesterday, who asked if I blogged. Reluctantly, I said yes, and gave him the address. The hestitation in providing him with the address was that he was going to post it for public use. I realized quickly, that well, let’s be honest…I’m quirky. Some might even say weird, and the majority say funny. I guess I do look in the mirror and laugh.

I’m one to live by the moment. I live on the cusp and learned to laugh at my shortcomings vs. letting others know what gets me ;).

I know I have big lips.
I know my rear end is larger than normal.
I know my thighs are abnormally large compared to my calves.
I know my head is physically large.

Have you ever seen the movie, “Cars”? If you have, you undoubtedly remember the Tow Truck, Mater whose voice is Larry the Cable Guys. During the flick, Mater says, “She likes me for my body”.

I can relate to that!

Truthfully, I’m a hopeless romantic at heart, and am truly a Teddy Bear.

Isn’t that a song by Tom Petty?

 It is a long road of chasing down dreams right? I just caught up with one, and yet it doesn’t feel what I imagined it would.

It was so hard to see my two compatriots who have ridden in hardships and trials as myself not have their dreams come true. The stress and emotion to come down to the final four, but being almost family by the time the decision was due, was heart wretching.

I lost weeks of sleep. WEEKS. End of Philly through, well two days ago. I was so nervous because I realised what I was about to do. I had to ride against my brothers for 1 spot, then I had to selfishly pray for the 2nd spot under coaches selection.

Oh, wait, maybe that’s why it doesn’t feel right, I feel guilty because we are all that close! The trials were stupid, it was who was the fittest for an individual 3 km time trial at that time of year. It didn’t depict who was the best team for the job, it just depicted who was the fastest rider over 3 km at that particular time. It gave those with the decision making ability an easier means of saying, “we had our trials, this was your final chance”. Okay, fair enough, it was so close that it came down to that point, and we needed a deciding factor, but it was one of the most stressful times of my life.

While I’m confident in the team going, that we can be competitive for a medal or more, it doesn’t change my feelings for the other two warriors. You are both in my heart and will always be considered family.

Unfortuanately, i’m in Italy using a crappy computer in the lobby and some crazy chick is now whining that she needs to use the computer, so I should be a gentleman and let her use it.

 She is being rude…

For all those times I treated you poorly.

- all the times I missed the gatherings.

- all the hours I spent in the saddle, and away from those who loved.

- the years that have passed with me chasing a passion,leaving yours behind.

- the moments I said I’d call and forget.

- …… 

This is for the selfishness I paid such a high cost for, but gained a moment in a life’s dream.

First, and foremost, thank you to everyone who has sent verbal, visual, and mental support. Either via phone, email or this blog. You have all kept my sprits up in this period of unknown. As you all know, I didn’t win the “Automatic” selection to gain birth to my first Olympic Games. While I did not make it automatically, I still have a legitimate shot at “Coaches selection”. Which means, simply that the coaches put forth what they feel is the best candidate for the job, and a committee will second that notion as to who goes. Everyone had the potential to win the selection and automatically go, and now three of the four guys have an equal shot for the coaches selection. Brad Huff, Colby Pearce, and yours truly. It’s really hard because all of us are friends. All of us have been on the road scampering for points and positions to just qualify our country’s spot in the games, and all of us have made that happen. For it to come this far down the line to coaches selection shows a few things. 1.) We’re all good riders. 2.) None of us had an outstanding performance at worlds to be given an automatic position. 3.) Even though we are friends, it’s still a battle. So, what have I been doing. Well, for starters, I was pretty upset that I didn’t crush it at the trials. Everyone thought that was going to be the case, and had me believing it too. Thus, afterwards, I had this incredible feeling of embarrassment. I felt that I let down my team, my fans, my family, myself and on down the line. I couldn’t face the phone, nor emails from anyone. I was too embarrassed to call home and let my parents know that I didn’t know I was going to the games or not yet because I didn’t win the trials. Day 1, I was the 3rd starter to attempt the time. All week I had been flying, going faster than I had ever gone before. Funny how on game day this can change in the blink of an eye. During my ride I was hitting the times I had aimed for. Bobby had set a blistering time, and I was on par to go faster until I saw 5 laps to go. Rather than it motivating me, I let it get to me and my times dropped. As soon as I heard a 17.0 second lap announced I set anchor. I knew that even though I could still make the time standard I wasn’t going to win Trial #1 and mentally told myself to save it for Trial #2 the next day. So with 4.5 laps to go, I was almost coasting and ended with a 3:24, 4th out of the group. Bobby so far was the only guy making the time standard with a great time. Day 2, I was really focused, even though I had no sleep from the night before due to nerves I was feeling alright. I knew it had to be today or it wouldn’t happen. I was first to go off since I was last overall the day before. I went down a gear to make it easier and started hitting the lap times I needed to equal Lea’s time. It wasn’t to be though, half way through I began to fade slightly, but not too much. I ended doing a 3:20 and that ended up being the 2nd fastest for the trials and 2 seconds from my PR 3:18 which I did 2 years ago! Crazy. I’m slower than I was 2 YEARS AGO! Actually, I just haven’t done enough track to be smooth since then. I was all over the place, fight for every ounce of energy, and wasting more by fighting. That’s the catch 22 when you can’t relax. You fight a losing battle over relaxing vs. aerodynamics.  So, here I am. Waiting. I’m in Boulder staying with the Phinney’s  getting in some volume as if I made the team. I’ve made a in depth training plan, and have everything in order in case I get the nod. Train as if you made the team. As soon as I know, you will all know. I have an enormous base of miles and racing in, by the time 8 weeks is up between now and Beijing, well…you come to that conclusion. 

Wow, Olympic Trials. Hmpf, might as well be a beer chugging contest. Everyone gets 3 beers and has less than 3 seconds to drink the first beer and the subsequent 2 have to drank in less than 6 seconds. Then each guy has to spin his head on a bat and then pin a tail on a moving donkey. Last but not least, here is where the bite comes into play, the rider has to ride two laps at a 17 second pace with an egg on a spoon.

This is a very plausible and scientific test to determine the mens to determine the mens Olympic Edurance Team.

Reasons for Utlilzing This Test:
1. Speed under pressure
2. Endurance thru the vertigo getting the tail onto the moving donkey
3. Bike Handling Skills: because who in the hell can hold an egg on a spoon after chugging 3 beers, spinning on a bat, pinning a tail on a moving donkey, and doing 2 laps at 17 second lap pace!?

ME THATS WHO!

Awe, okay, i’ll be a bit more serious.

3km flat stick. Fastest guy is an automatic selection for the games, and the second guy is nominated by coaches selection.

Bring it on!

4 guys going for 2 spots. All have raced and known one another for a long time. It will be interesting because it will be,

hard
fast
nervous
heartbreaking
dream making
dream shattering
exciting
etc
etc
etc.

The couple I’m staying with is truly First Class. Jim and Barbara Young have been around the cycling community for years. While cycling isn’t Mrs. Young’s passion, her husband Jim bleeds blue and white for his team of Penn State.

Jim Young is “Collegiate Racing”. He started it all folks, as well as being the Penn State Cycling coach for many years, and I pray for years to come. You can google his name, and you may find some interesting material on this gentleman, but one can never know his passion for the sport unless you actually look into his eyes and see the shine.

For the 2nd time this year I actually cried. It takes a real man to be able to admit that he can be emotional at times. For 12 years Jim has had symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and only recently had he felt free from those symptoms, only to be thrown back in again amongst the tides of life when the implanted “pacemaker” controlling electrical impulses to the base of his brain either malfuctioned or hadn’t been quite adjusted to his body/medications yet. I cried when I was alone in my room. It was an overwhelming cry because I’ve been in a similar situation with a lot of unknowns as to which way the tide will take you.

Either way, it was really hard for him to tell me how for the first time in 12 years, the cloud had been lifted from him, and he felt FREE! Only to be taken back by severe cramping, uncontrollable muscle spasms, and pain. Such a fighter, with such a heart he drove himself to Somerville, NJ from his home in Easton to watch the Tour of Somerville. He knew that once the race started he had to start walking back to his car less than 3 blocks away. By the time the race had finished he was 1 block from the car.

This is “Heart” my dear friends and readers. We all have desires, needs, passions  and more, but to continue the road ahead no matter what is thrown in your path is true HEART!  Here is a damn good example. He is a Hero. Jim Young is a true Hero.

He doesn’t want anyone feeling sorry for him and has a slight distaste for anyone who feels the need to help him. I can’t blame him. He has the same mindset as the athlete he once was and the Fighter he still is.

Here in Easton, watching over his home, his Dog, their Cat, is feeling of peace and a strong desire to stay the course.

Thank you Mr. Young for being who you are both inside and out.

Love,

Mike

It’s 7:00 AM here in Easton, PA.

I was awakened at 5 AM by the Cat crying out, which sounds more like a moaning cat getting a bath. If you’ve never heard this, you must try giving a cat a bath. It’s not a MEOW, is more like NOOEOW! Anyways, after Iggy starts Nooeowing in my ear, I get up.

The Dog, Jack, named after Jackson Pollock, had to be caged in the middle of the night for eating my mix of pitstaccios, goji berries, and other fruits/nutts also was crying to be let out. I was going to let him spend the night on the couch until I head him tearing through the bag of stuff.

So, here I am typing away, having taken the dog for a 2 mile walk where he may have learned that he ate a bad mix during the night.

Brew in hand, which I must say is quite tasty and never have I drank an entire carafe before until this morning. The owner of this household purchases green beans from Sweet Maria’s and then roasts and grinds them himself.

I’m here in Eastern PA staying with Jim and Barbara Young, attempting to prepare for the upcoming Olympic trials on the track as well as Philly Week. The track is going to be quite the headache, due to all of the road miles I have accrued in the past few months since worlds. I shall make an effort though to get over to the velodrome and pedal circles. Philly Week is my favorite race week of the year. It’s normally warm, sunny, and fun racing. It’s been really nice being home and racing some of the “local” races even though I’ve felt horrible, but it’s better to feel that way now than next week.

More to come…

 You can’t fire me over this. You know it takes balls  to do this.