I was a "late bloomer" growing up. 14 years old, freshman in high school at 5 foot 3 inches, and 105 pounds. Five years later I was 6 feet one inch and 210 pounds.
I ran cross country in high school and college. What a great sport where the top five runners help the team earn points. I was never the best on the team but sometimes my scoring helped the team. Running turned into Duathlons/ Triathlons and I was reminded about how long it took for me to get "good". Specifically, I did this one run-bike event seven years in a row from 1984 to 1990. That race helped to measure my improvement as my cycling speed moved from average (passed by 45 athletes in 1984) to good (stayed with the leaders in 1987) to fast (won the event outright in 1990). Seven years of stick-to-it-ness. Seven years of persistence and not listening to "you can't win this".
My junior teammates each have their own path of development. This is just a short note to let them know that while I push them for improvements and progression, I understand that they have their own speed, and that their best years are still ahead of them!
Larry Nolan, Team Specialized Junior Director
