Well it’s been quite a long journey, coming right up on 2 months away from my old Southern California home but it sure has felt like an eternity.
For those of you who hadn’t seen the original posts I graduated from University a year ago, decided to hold off on further education and career to pursue professional cycling. I’ve been racing for a couple years now and am a Cat 2 roadie working on my cycling upgrade and making it through the ranks. I left with a friend of mine with similar goals and we put together a blog to chronicle the adventure.
Long story short- moved to Ithaca, New York as a hub to race in New England for a month. Moved to Altoona, PA for two weeks to do the Tour de Toona and train for a couple weeks. Now have moved to just North of Atlanta, GA to find a home base in the Southeast.
Unfortunately Zack decided just before we made it to GA that this dream wasn’t for him, it was really tough doing what we were doing, all the traveling, poverty, and relentless racing does drag on you and Zack decided things were better back in San Diego.
I am determined to stick it out though and just did my first race in Georgia.
A Georgia Cup stage race in Dahlonega, in the mountains where the Tour De Georgia is held every year. It was a brutally tough race but I managed a 7th place in the uphill TT, a 7th place in the Queen Stage rr over all the same ‘Gaps’ as the Tour de Georgia and a 2nd place in the Circuit/RR where I was beat out in a breakaway with a professional on the Jittery Joe’s squad. Finished 6th on GC with 3 Jittery Pro’s, an AEG- Toshiba pro, 3 Sakonnet national level development riders, a brazilian national, and a few spanish/latin american national riders.
Things are finally starting to come together and the feelings that I have had for so long of just being ‘on the brink’ seem to possibly have hit a new threshold. We’ll see how everything plays out in the next year or so but I think I’m on the right track.
For much more detailed info on the traveling all over the country, the 20 states I’ve been to, the countless miles on the road, the 49 straight days of riding, ~20 races, or whatever else might come up just check out the blog.
Thank all of you so much for the support you have given me for the past two months, I plan on continuing the dream so keep checking up on the progression!
Welcome to Georgia.
I’m a long way from where you are in Roswell, but will be in Jasper for the weekend.
Come see us at the beach if you make it to the Georgia coast.
I will be in Augusta racing this weekend but it’s great to hear that I have friends so close! I’m staying in Big Canoe for a little while so maybe i’ll see you out on training rides!
“Stupid question, but how do you eat and pay rent?”
I sleep in a tent and live off the land… obviously.
No, actually I worked 50hrs a week as a waiter at the Four Seasons at Aviara, in Carlsbad, CA while trying to train and race my bike back home and it was killing me. That’s part of what made this dream come to fruition. But basically I was living with 3 other guys, paying $400/month in rent, $200 in groceries, another couple hundred in cycling costs and gas and the rest was saved.
So… grudgingly enough I am living off savings for the time being until I get a PART TIME job, no 40hr work weeks.
“There are a lot of races in SC I’ve noticed. Ever done any out there?”
No, but i’m looking forward to it, I just got to the south 6 days ago and I’m loving it, did my first race in GA but I will be in Greenville next month to do the SC state championships.
yep, they’re all like that. The one i was at had a chocolate brunch on sundays once a month and it was basically every type of chocolate, champagne, and crazy cocoa concoction you can think of. All stylized by european pastry chefs and chocolatiers. For a mere $50 you can have a few pieces of chocolate and a glass of champagne.
I did pick up a few cooking tips from the chefs as well, they are pretty amazing, like diner line cooks but cooking with amazing ingredients and making it very pretty.