World Cup Qualifier
Myself leading the lead group in the road race qualifier
It was the morning of the time trial and I was feeling great. I had got plenty of rest and was ready to go out and leave it all out there on the course. However, the weather had its own agenda and the wind on this day was fierce. Wind blowing a steady 20 mph with 30 mph gusts was going to make this time trial an even more daunting task. On days like these it makes the mental preparation so much more important. I like to tell myself that I’m not alone out there dealing with these conditions so I try to be one of the competitors that doesn’t let these things bother me. Come start time the wind was blowing hard and pacing this time trial would be critical for a fast time. Go as hard as I can into the wind and when the wind was at my back recover as much as I can to get ready for the next hard push into the wind. The plan was executed perfectly and I was able to cross the finish line of the 21.6 kilometer course in a time of 32:47 putting me second on the men’s ranking list. It’s always so satisfying in racing when all the work, planning, and race strategy go as planned. It one of the best feelings out there as an athlete. Ticket is punched for World Cup 2 & 3 now let’s get back to training and see what I can do out in Europe where the competition is always taken up a notch especially in a paralympic year
Out in good ol Texas for the world cup qualifier a race that will determine the team that will represent USA in the next 2 world cups. Only the top 6 men and top 6 women on the time trial rankings list will guarantee their spot on the roster. Placing in the top 6 of men was so important for my path to Paris paralympics because both world cup 2 and 3 will be apart of the selection process for Paris. I was confident in how my training had went over these last few weeks and had little doubt I wouldn’t place in the top 6. Over the last few years racing in time trials has become my strength. Especially a flat and fast course and that’s exactly the course Out here in Texas. The course was located on the Texas A&M campus and it was an awesome sight to see such a huge campus and all the support provided by the city. This should make the fun and excitement level turn up a notch for the race.
