Hardcore

Gotta say, having friends such as Ben Popper, who absolutely tore the CrossVegas race up on Wednesday, simply makes me happy. Back in the spring, I was dropping him on nearly every climb – now he's so goddamn fast that he makes me look like I'm standing still when I'm putting in a sprint.

At least seeing him race against the likes of Ryan Trebon, Barry Wicks, Jonathan Page, and yes, Lance Armstrong, is inspiration enough for me to put in another interval effort, not have that second helping of ice cream, and squeeze that workout in before the sun rises. I know full well that I'll never line up and do well in a UCI Pro-Am CX race, but I do know that I could make it to Cat. 2 if I try really, really hard. And I know hard work is what this sport requires. All summer long, Ben was out from 4:50 AM to 6:30 AM training, then running home to shower, eat and get on the train to his job in the suburbs. Me? The guy who was freelancing and had all the time in the world? Well, I would train, but I wasn't training hard. I was lazy. And now it's fall and Ben's racing with the world's best and I'm midpack with the local Cat. 3s.

Next year, though, next year. However, I'm making this year count – I'm feeling better about things and I'm going to be realistic. I have my goals, however lofty, but I know that sometimes I just gotta do the best I can and be satisfied with 14th place and a bloody knee.