Stressing and Reflecting

Hello from Germany! I will race my second mountain bike race of this USAC trip on Sunday.

It's been a busy year so far, and a different one than I've had in the past. Before this season started I set out for myself what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to succeed in many areas and I wasn't going to back down in anything. I wrote my goals on a piece of paper, and it boils down to: I want to be top 5 at the mountain bike world championships, I want to go to worlds for road, and I want to get all As in school.

Come January, I was ready to give it everything I had and I was beyond excited for what lay ahead. Then February, I was putting in more base miles than I ever have and I finished 3rd in the VOS stage race GC. Our road team was riding well together and I was excited to race again.

March rolled around, and the season was in full swing. I was spending a lot of time thinking and occasionally doubting. I had decisions to make and things I had to sacrifice. I received a grade I don't wish to talk about on a math test the day after I finished my first UCI mountain bike race in Fontana, CA. I realized that I need to prioritize more and I noticed that I can't be there for everything in every discipline. I missed San Dimas because of the Pan American mtb championship in Colombia. I was not at all happy with how I felt and finished in Colombia, but I was confident in where I was with my training. I had to make a decision about whether to go to Sea Otter or stay home for the ACT and Prom. Sea Otter was right before I left for Europe and it would have also added more time away from school. The ACT registration deadline wasn't going to wait, and I struggled over the decision. The last thing I wanted to do was miss another team race. I had help from Larry, my coach, and my parents. I decided to stay home for that May weekend.

April was here and I was stressed. I received an invite for a trip with the national team to Europe, where we will race multiple stage races. I was thrilled and I'm incredibly lucky for the opportunity. However I was also conflicted. I  thought about the two Europe trips I now had before school ends and how I had to somehow tell my teachers I was going to miss a total of 5 weeks of school. How could I possibly do all that I wanted to? I broke the news to my teachers, and they told me they would support me as best as possible. My U.S history teacher helped me see the bigger picture. He said something like, "You don't want to miss out on an experience because of the risk on your grades. Life's much bigger for you right now."

As I sit in Germany I have relaxed and started to see that bigger picture. I am only 17 and I have a lot to look forward to. Juggling everything is a bit harder than I expected but it is definitely worth it. All of this helps me learn and grow up. Having to make a decision between two great experiences is a good problem to have. I am one incredibly lucky kid and I owe this to a lot of people. It's unfortunate that I've had to miss a couple team races, but I know that my teammates and Larry have my back. If the ACT wasn't the weekend of Sea Otter I would have been in California, opting to spend time with my teammates over my friends in Durango on Prom night.

I have learned a lot about the things that are important to me. I continue to learn how to improve time management and decision making. I don't have to stress so much if I can work hard and work smart. This has been a great season so far, even if I am highlighting the stressful parts in this post. I still have the same goals on my mind and I still have the drive to get there. However I've made sure I relax and enjoy myself, and know what the bigger picture looks like. I'm excited for seeing every one on the team. Everyone involved in Team NCCF/Specialized contribute to painting the bigger picture of not stressing and enjoying bike racing.

-Christopher