2011 Blogs
I learn but I don’t listen. I accept but I don’t apply. When I’m tired my answer is to do more more more. Sometimes this works and sometimes this is vital to performing sport well; sometimes in a race if your legs are begging you to stop, if you just press on a little harder they will come around. When I became sick in November I never fully recovered and in December that turned into a sinus infection which the doctor remedied with a round of antibiotics. The antibiotics ended the day before Zolder World Cup. Overall my energy seemed good, but living and racing are two different beasts. After 1 lap I felt like a steaming lump of rubbish and that race turned into a feat of merely surviving for the finish. I returned to the Doc for a blood test which has revealed a virus of some sort. I was unable to start the manic week of Christmas races; they will need to wait for another year. With health in question and while I wait for the results of a second, more specific blood test I will not be returning to the US for Nationals. For now, as my body attempts to fight a war without ammunition, I am trying to salvage something out the remainder of this season.
It’s not all doom and gloom, at least that’s what I’m trying to tell myself as I’m in the cross-hub of the world and sitting on my arse waiting for a virus to clear off. It was a lovely Christmas; my friend, John Shippey visited from Colorado. Begijnendijk for Christmas and New Year’s were the bookends to his tour around Belgium and Holland. Tim and Jos joined in on Christmas Day and we all ooo’ed and aw’ed over the masterpiece dinner by Masterchef Simon. A couple days later we met Shippey in Maastricht, Holland - a lovely historical city. Whilst Shippey toured the historical route, I toured the shops and their Christmas sales. Retail therapy?? We returned home for New Year’s Eve; turns out there is a benefit to living in a flat country, aside from a plethora of recovery ride routes. On our rooftop we could see fireworks from about 15 different cities.
Good luck to everyone this weekend at their Nationals. I have my bets…but my big hope is that Jonathan Page crosses to stars & stripes. I certainly have a new appreciation for what it takes to race an entire season in Europe. It’s hard but I like it, I like the struggle; it’s not over yet, but I hope to try again next season. In my opinion, because Page doesn’t race much in the US he is easily forgotten by the “US Bookies”. In a career everyone has their highs and lows…it’s about how high your highs are and how you wade through the lows. Page has battled sickness this season but as of late is showing excellent form in good timing for Nationals and Worlds.