Two Generations

I've been thinking about the last few weekends of racing.  I usually race in the morning, right after the juniors, so I am out on the course warming up when the kids are racing.  To me, there is no better way to start the day than to be out there watching these juniors doing their thing on the course.  Some are totally focused on ripping their lap as fast as they can, while others seem to be taking in the sights along the way.  No matter, they are all having a blast!  Seeing this each morning before my race really puts things into perspective.  If all that is gained from a race is a fix on your jones for competition, keep searching.

I met a kid named Zane at a race earlier this season.  My friend Sean introduced me to him while I was shooting the Men's 45+ Open race.  Turns out Zane's dad Tim is pretty much at or near the front of the field every weekend.  I know this because I have plenty of shots of Tim dicing it out with Thacker, Hodges, and the other big dogs in the 45+ Open.  So weeks go by and I see Zane out and about at the races and I get lots of photos of his dad out there crushing it.

Because I race in the morning and then grab my gear and shoot the Men's and Women's Open races, I am usually toast by the time the Men's Open is over; Beer Thirty.  So I didn't know Zane had been out there crushing his class, which most recently has been the Men's 3's.  Zane is like 16 or something. Last Sunday I introduced myself to Zane's dad, Tim Godby.  We got to chatting and I asked him how Zane got interested in bike racing.  Tim's response, "Keep it fun!"  Oh yeah, and the ACA bumped Zane into the Men's Open class,  he won his first three races in the 3's.

Saturday's race was interesting in the fact that there was a junior football game going on right in the center of the CX course.  It was cool because if I didn't think about it too hard, I felt like all the cheering at the game was for me as I rode circles in the mud.

I have a 4 year old daughter and of course I want her to love the things that I love.  I really hope she doesn't end up as a cheerleader on the sidelines at those games, but I'll support her in whatever she chooses.  Well, of course I can influence her in certain ways.  After my race on Sunday, I went home, picked up Ruby, and took her right back to the Res to watch the Men's Open.  We also caught the little kids race that the folks at Boulder Racing always put on.  Ruby was hooked.  "Daddy, I want to bring my bike next time."   Those words were music to my ears.