I Didn't Invent The Culture, But I

There Were Something Like 50 Good, Arduous Climbs Around Nice, Solid Inclines Of Ten Miles Or More. The Trick Was Not To Climb Every Once In Awhile, But To Climb Repeatedly. I Would Do Three Different Climbs In One Day, Over The Course Of A Six- Or Seven-hour Ride. A 12 Mile Climb Took About An Hour, So That Tells You What My Days Were Like.

Cancer Taught Me A Plan For More Purposeful Living, And That In Turn Taught Me How To Train And To Win More Purposefully. It Taught Me That Pain Has A Reason, And That Sometimes The Experience Of Losing Things-whether Health Or A Car Or An Old Sense Of Self-has Its Own Value In The Scheme Of Life. Pain And Loss Are Great Enhancers.

I Raced Because I Was Paid To Do A Job And I Felt Like I Had To Do The Job. Number Two: I Raced Because I Loved The Process, I Loved Training, Getting Ready For The Race, I Loved All Of That. And Number Three I Raced For My Memories. Regardless Of What Somebody Wants To Give Or Take Away, You Can't Take My Memories.

I've Committed To Surfing The Rest Of My Life.

My Ruthless Desire To Win At All Costs Served Me Well On The Bike But The Level It Went To, For Whatever Reason, Is A Flaw. That Desire, That Attitude, That Arrogance.