RyanHarne.com

Though I didn’t understand some of the road names being used regarding which portions of the mountainous ride to follow and, therefore, ended up hopping onto the group that took a far easier loop, I still had a great time doing some North by Northwest [NxNW] riding. Plus, we incorporated the entire Clover Hollow race course which is a great training ground.

Changing pace, in my sophomore year in high school, I began lifting weights and by my senior year was doing a daily routine, with some regular running in the picture, as well. Collegiate living immersed me in the gym environment where I started some of the hardest cardio training of my life. My third and fourth gym-years at VT were spent max-ing out the cardio gym equipment, namely the resistance bikes and elliptical trainers, to the point that they would literally vibrate and be on the verge of having serious mechanical failures. Getting a road bike was a shot in the dark since I didn’t know if I would be using it for commuting, for touring, for racing. I chose a mid-grade road bike with a more touring-focused geometry.

Clearly, cycling has changed my life, and has even provided me with an exorbitant amount of stuff to write about. [I may or may not apologize for the multiplying quantities of cycling entries]. I was, admittedly, frightened to attend the VT cycling meetings should they make me even more excited about riding. For months, I resisted going on group rides with either locals or team members. I would go to East Coasters only to buy spare or emergency parts, avoiding opportunities to gawk and stare at the new bikes (it may or may not have been a mistake for me to take that new Madone out for a test ride…)

Tonight, having done two group rides, having been to two cycling meetings, having gawked at other VT Cycling team members’ bikes, I have decided to make a bold move.

I bought two pairs of socks.

Two pairs of cycling socks. Two pairs of VT Cycling team socks. In two weeks, I need to finalize my decision by paying dues and eventually getting a lot of VT Cycling gear. That’s if I decide to absolutely go for it. I am really taking my time to think about this. Academically, I’m at a great place; come full-on graduate school I will drop the Apple Campus Rep job and just stick to the GTA or GRA position, so time will be more on my side. Physically, I am in the best shape of my life and I have four years of intense cardiovascular exercise under my belt, which is precisely how I’ve been able to pick up a respectable amateur racing pace this quickly on the bike. There’s just a lot to think about.

Joining the team would also make me reconsider so many of my anti-athletic aggression. However, as my roommate, Jon, pointed out, cycling is clearly more associated with athletes and less with athletics, the latter often insinuating easily marketable and monstrously popular sports; athletes has more of an olympic nuance to it. I could contemplate that for a while, but, still, being excited about a sport, generally, is really awkward for me.

I don’t procrastinate to make decisions often but I am going to let this possibility settle as the week goes on. I’m going to do my morning ride tomorrow; make a fool of myself at Wednesday Worlds [sprinting] when I will likely be dropped from the pack, or hopefully not; do a Thursday evening rolling hills course; and then the Friday group ride. Classes in between, before and after, with meetings and emails and dinners. All the while considering what it would be like to be a university-level sports player, under the guise of the super academic student and Mac geek.