Finding new motivation to ride
Originally posted on April 11, 2013 at 16:24 pm
By Stephan Kincaid
I don’t like to let people down. It’s a weakness disguised as a strength that sometimes wears lycra. For those of you that don’t know me, that would be 99% of you reading this, my name is Stephan Kincaid. Most people call me Geronimo.
For a few weeks I’ll be guest blogging my adventures (a.k.a. daily life as a working stiff trying to ride bikes trying to achieve life balance) leading up to the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic.
A quick background: I’m a school counselor. I currently ride for Stan’s NoTubes p/b Proferrin. Raced “Pro” for a number of years with a primary focus on road racing. I’m 40 years old. I really like dogs. Post ride beers are tasty. My friends mean much to me. I am thankful for my life.
For years I’ve been racing my bike to score results, in an effort to be on a “good” team, to be a “pro”, and to see how far I could go. I’ve been blessed and had some memorable results (to me at least).
Those days have passed and these days I sometimes moan and groan about how fit I used to be. How the weather sucks. How I wish I didn’t have to work so much. Man, I can’t get motivated!
Last year I raced TSE as a solo rider, had a good base of training and had a blast. However, due to other upcoming commitments I had to re-focus my plan for TSE this year and was really bummed. (Insert negative self-talk and boo hoo-ness here.) I emailed the promoter Mike Kuhn and asked to keep me in mind for an “Epic Team.” Within a few weeks I hear back and voila, I have a team.
The backbone of the team will be two Iraq War Veterans, Joel Kostelac and David Noletti, that lost a dear friend in the war, Chris Seifert. David and Joel are riding TSE to raise money for Chris’s young son to use toward college.
When I learned about my teammates, read their emails telling of their goals and brotherhood with their lost friend Chris I was emotionally moved.
If it wasn’t for the men and women that fight for our country’s freedoms I may not be able to ride my bike when I like and where I like with nary a care in the world. To think, I was moaning about my fitness level or daily job. These men have given me a whole new reason to ride: Chris’s son Benjamin.
All they ask is that I ride my bike. I will do my best. I don’t want to let these people down.
In the coming weeks I’ll share my rides and thoughts going into TSE. Grab a beer and check back in from time to time. Cheers!
For those of you online you can check out my rides on Strava here, follow me on Twitter, or read my blog.