I had a hard training ride today that included some 15minute intervals and I couldn't but help think of a special role model to me. His name is Tom Shaw and although I've never met this man, I feel a connection to him that I can't really explain. In short, the Tom Shaw Memorial is an annual award given to a lucky high school senior at St. Mary's Springs Academy (SMSA-my high school alma mater) that demonstrates leadership in athletics, community service and academic excellence; all qualities of Tom. I was the lucky recipient to win the Tom Shaw Memorial in 1999 when I graduated from SMSA. Although I didn't know at the time, I can honestly say that it changed my life. As I moved into college and beyond, I took the initiative of learning as much as I could about Tom and his life. Conversing with his siblings, now deceased parents, and his former classmates, I soon felt like I had a pretty good idea of Tom and how he lived his short life (a young 24 years old when he died in a helicopter accident serving our country in Vietnam). Check out this memorial in Tom's name: http://www.virtualwall.org/ds/ShawTF01a.htm. I try to mimic his many great qualities such as: strong work ethic, tenacity, helping others, community involvement and his calming attitude with the many obstacles life presented. So back to my ride today, as I'm drooling on my handlebars trying to bang out these intervals, I thought of Tom and realized I am so lucky be able to train and race the way I do. It's a privilege that often gets overlooked. A big thank you to all our current, past and fallen soldiers for protecting our freedom.
So Saturday, our team raced BikeJam in Baltimore. We rode extremely aggressive; however did not come away with a victory. Safe to say , we are ready to break our little curse. We are putting the right pieces together, but not quite finishing the project. A number of early breaks were created, all of which would come back for the sprint. Unfortunately, a few late crashes would take down 2 of our strong potentials, Blair Berbert and Evan Fader. We walked away with 1 in the top 10, Jaime Kimberley. We've got our work cut out for us and we need to remember that we all know how to win. Personally, I rode very aggressive covering and creating moves. I found myself on the front with 4 laps to go and together with teammate Kevin Gottlieb we brought a break back. It was during this time that we lost Blair and Evan with 1 lap to go.....not good! I felt better than I've felt in over a year. I'm coming into form and looking forward to carrying that to Nationals in Augusta, GA in June. Post race found us out to eat working on burgers and fries. A big thanks to my teammate, Todd Hesel for putting me up this weekend. He is notorious for putting out a good breakfast with some wicked strong coffee.
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| There he is...the famous breakfast maker Todd Hesel!! |
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| Post race burgers and beer- clockwise left to right- Todd, Nima, Holly, Diane, Nicki, Jacob, Rick, Blair. |
Back in PA on Sunday and I worked my way into a great dinner of chicken, veggies and corn on the cob (so Wisconsin!!) at Stephan Kincaid's house. Stephan and Jill are the proud owners of 2 awesome dogs, Hunter and Scooby. I love hanging out with them and will have to post some pics at some point. Thanks again for the great food, conversation and company.
For some reason, I've been in a huge Kings of Leon kick lately and can't stop listening to this particular song (Cold Desert):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMfP4Ps_M8c Get after it and see if it sticks.
This week will be a quick one. My father is flying into Harrisburg, PA for work on Wednesday and I'm spending Weds, Thurs and Friday with him. He will be giving a presentation at a Dairy Expo and I'm sure you'll hear from me as we are touring a big farm in Lancaster County. Mooooooo!!!!!!! Looking forward to spending some time with him.
This coming weekend is wide open. No races scheduled, but I might seek out a few local venues to hit up and have fun with. We'll see. Get out and enjoy...Happy Memorial Day!!
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