I have had the Olympic Spirit for a very long time. In some shape or form, it is something that has driven me, and some of my endeavors. Just seeing the Olympics on TV is a moving experience to me, its a bit hard to describe the feeling that I have. Back in the 1980's I was inspired to start cycling, and saw the 1984 Olympics on TV. I wish that I was there to see it first hand. Since then it was my dream to compete in the Olympics, to represent the USA.
In 1988 I attended the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This was a very unique experience for me. I had never really been away from home, to the altitude, cold weather - really to any of it. I really had no idea what I was doing. I just tried to ride my bike the best that I could given the situation. I progressed a little from there, at home that is. I did ok in races, but never excelled to the level I held myself to. To this day I still do not know what I can achieve.
In the early 90's I did fairly well, but I still hadn't figured out exactly what it was that I was doing, how to achieve my goals, or how to excel. I won alot of local races, won a few things in California, had alot of fun with many good memories. Raced against Armstrong, LeMond, Grewal, Nothstein and many others that were Olympic Champions and that much more sometime in their careers.
In 2006 I was starting to get in shape fairly well for the coming race season. I had been doing ok previous years, but nothing really to write home about. A win here or there, many excellent top finishes. Then it happened. I was riding on a Saturday morning with the local group, and I couldnt stay with them. Just two weeks prior I had finished in the top ten of a race in California, had raced in the Pro event even and was ok, for an early season race that is.
It was weird. To go from this level one week, and then all of a sudden have no fitness. I started gaining weight rapidly, while training 200 or so miles per week. I went to a doctor who recommended seeing a endocrinologist after some routine blood tests. At first this joke of a doctor said that I was too sedentary, my diet was wrong and that was the reason for my lack of performance. When I informed him of his errors, (I should have called him an idiot there) we looked into my issue a bit further. After an ultrasound of my neck, based on abnormalities in my blood test we thought we had discovered some issues with my thyroid. I had a feeling in my neck beforehand with this pressure against my esophagus, which he played off as nothing. I have to point out, I know my body better than 99 percent of the people out there that think they are athletes. Its not bragging, I just have learned over the years that I have to listen to my engine, its feedback is very important.
I had a biopsy done on the growth found in the ultrasound, and it came back as questionable, the biopsy wasn't done very well, and another probably was a good idea. Now mind you, a biopsy of this sort is difficult to do, and sometimes multiple tries are necessary to get proper mass to study. However in this case, other endocrinologists would interpret this data otherwise, and recommend to follow up as if I had cancer. I went to another endocrinologist because I was fed up with my first doctor. This doctor interpreted my results, did another ultrasound, and that day pushed me out the door to a surgeon. No fooling around or anything.
January 2007 I had my first surgery, and if the results came back quick enough, I wouldn't have had a second. I had Thyroid Cancer. It was the answer to the 60+ pounds that I have gained, poor performance, and feeling rather poorly. So I was told, this was the cancer to have due to the cure rate. That is total nonsense. Not in that it isn't curable. It's that as an active person, THYCA turns your life upside down. You are on synthetic hormones for the rest of your life. Most doctors treat you based on a blood test, not how you feel, not on your wants and needs, and none of them have a clue how to deal with an athlete. They look at you like you jog a mile and think nothing of it. They absolutely don't understand what it takes to ride 100 miles, or to compete against Olympic and Professional caliber talent. When I was at a reasonable fitness I was 5'10 or so and weighed 142-145 pounds. I could leg press an incredible amount of weight and had a VO2MAX somewhere near 90.
Now I weigh over 200 pounds, and I wont take some doctor telling me that because I am 40 years old that is what I should expect. I refuse to believe that I am medicated right. And I refuse to believe my life, and my athletic career is done.
Now see, the Olympic Spirit is a little different for everyone. Mostly it is this thing inside that drives you. My name isn't Armstrong, or something famous. It doesn't have to be.
On the left is a picture from the 2008 Tour of California. On the right side of the picture is one Mario Cipollini, 40 years old in 2008. This is an International level Pro race. This isnt a sprint for 68th place, it is for the win. Age doesnt matter, ask Thurlow Rogers, (placed 3rd 2008 Elite US National Road Championships against riders half his age).We all can learn something from the Olympics, and the so called Olympic Spirit. Don't call it an obsession, it's nothing of the sort for me. Some obsession are good though, so don't discount that. We need something to drive us, to drive our cities, our communities and even our workplaces. That is why I say we can learn something here.
Unfortunately many of the cities we live in do not exemplify any spirit let alone an Olympic Spirit. Most of the places we work would have a hard time pulling together a softball team. In fact the place I work at you couldn't pull three people together that would walk around the block let alone jog. That is disappointing.
I write this with no intentions. I wish these words would inspire someone to do a bit more. I have said the word utopia before, that is something you dream of. I would love to see people at least a bit more supportive of one another. When I had cancer, I got one get well card from my coworkers. At the end of the month I was fired. This country, our workplaces, our neighborhoods have many good if not great people. We wouldn't know, we cant even wait for them to pull out of their parking space to get out of our way. Certainly, that isn't anything to be proud of.
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