climbing the ladder of..

in ,

success.. i guess it’s different to everyone. i know many people who define it with 0’s. some who define it by titles. others define it with the ever elusive victory. me.. i’ve been all across the board.. each category. these days.. i’m not really sure. the older i get, the smaller and more petty it is. little things that might be overlooked by many, but to me, wreaks of triumph.

case in point.. redlands. granted, san dimas was pretty dang cool, but redlands was a thing of beauty. it’s hard to explain.. and as it was happening i too over looked it amongst the mayhem. but as i settled into my bed on sunday completely exhausted, i couldn’t help but lay there and grin. why?? i can’t really put my finger on it. i guess to some it could have gone either way. i mean.. we had a rough day and dropped down in gc, doren and i were at our limits smashing in 16 – 21 hr days, guys were getting sick, looming 24 hr drive home, etc.. but none of it really mattered. i was still smiling through it all.

in the end.. i think it’s the way we stuck together through it all. each and every one of us work our a – – es off to do our part.. from mr. bingham filling bottles at 5am, to heathy crushing the tt.. we all do our job to the best of our ability. and it’s inspiring to be part of it.. to see it firsthand. behind the scenes seeing each character in their own light.. learning what makes them tick. seeing them all interact.. laugh.. complain.. argue.. cry.. i’ve seen it all. but none of it matters.. what matters is the fact that we stick together. i mean.. we can argue amongst ourselves all we want but the moment an outsider beefs with us.. that’s the moment he finds out we’re not just another group of guys in the same clothing. THAT”S OUR SUCCESS.. our unity. we were able to create a program who is full of chiefs.. but who, in their own right, could lead almost any other amateur program in the nation. yet they choose to set aside their own personal goals for the goals of the team. to me.. that’s success..

saying that.. the most memorable moment of my ca trip was after beaumont. i’m walking back up to the van and mr bingham comes running up “sully got 3rd”.. as if he just did it himself. i’m not gonna lie.. i was pretty shocked. i mean 1 hr before, he’s back at the team car grabbing bottles and stuffing them in every inch of his jersey. as he sat there in his chair, i looked over at him and all he could say is, “surFy, how’d you like that!”. i couldn’t help but laugh.. i have such a soft spot in my heart for guys like sully.. who turn themselves inside out week after week for his captain but can still come up with the goods… our first nrc podium appearance. let’s too not forget our other bottle fetcher on friday, mat stephens, who rode to a top 10 in a very tough redlands crit. again, making me smile.. i respect them both so much.. not just for their ability, but their tenacity. they don’t use excuses.. they do their job perfectly, but if the opportunity presents itself, they grab it. that’s the mark of a true rider.. our success story.

i don’t want it to seem that i forgot about the other guys.. tyler, gonzo, christian, and joseph also did their part amazingly. illness kept em down a bit but they all rallied and rode awesome races. as i said, each guy brings something special to the table.. and i can assure you that each one of them will get a huge result (of course joseph already opened his account) this year.

now.. time to recharge and get ready for the next one. heck.. i might even sneak in some time on the bike myself : ) -surFy