What inspires you to compete?
My desire to compete stems from my desire to grow as a person: to learn and to challenge and therefore push myself to higher level of skill and experience. This is why I love downhill racing. It`s competitive, but that the same time it is self-competitive at the core.
Some Personal Information About Me:
*Married for 10 + years. Maureen rides DH too (and usually better than I!)
*Riding bikes: BMX since I was a kid, XC since `95, DH racing since 2005.
*Played in bands for years upon years upon years!
*Long hair, preparing for the ultimate comb over.
*Centrally located! 45 minutes to Jiminy Peak, 1.5 to Mt. Snow and Plattekill!
*Work PT in local bike shop The Downtube, customer service.
*So much more to tell in such little space!
Describe your style...
In person: Hopefully I come off with a balance of being relaxed at times and energetic when it`s time to move.
On the bike: Fast, smooth (hopefully!) with a very slight tinge of caution to push my limits yet to also keep them in check. I like to "look before I leap" and realize that I as I hit the "big 4-0" , my body does not heal as fast as it used to!
My close friends also say I ride with a BMX racing style, pumping the bike over everything to gain speed and keep the momentum going.
Do you train? What does your schedule look like?
The balance of family, work riding and other commitments can be an endless tug of war. I like to look at it on more of an ebb and flow, however with flexibility being the key. I`m lucky enough to have a wife who also rides, so she understands my needs to ride several times a week. For the summer/early fall of 2006, my schedule has generally allowed me to do ride XC 2X a week and DH up to 2X a week. As the off seasonfall/winter sets in, I hope to night ride 2X a week, street ride 1X a week and hit the gym to help mend my aging broken bodily parts.
Employment / Experience Summary
I am currently employed as a Coordinator at a not-for profit organization which helps people with disabilities get and retain employment as well as to become better involved with their communities. I guess I buck the trend of 30-40 somethings who have floated form job to job, as I`ve been here for 10 + years now. Loyalty is an important concept to me.
I work with state and federal funding sources and supervise (at times) upwards of 20 people. Let`s just say that I am rarely bored or have slow times at my job!