There were a lot of great things from this year's event. These are things I am very happy to have been a part of, they make me very happy and proud to be a positive influence in other's lives.
Last year my friend, Patti, told me she wanted to branch out from the swim events and try the Saturday night bike race. I helped her get a plan of attack and spoke to her numerous times over the year about it to keep her encouraged. I am very happy for her that she got her goal (and another age division medal), and did great at a very hard bike race. After I finished my race I rode the course again to keep her company. She talked, laughed, and sang songs while I rode behind her and smiled knowing she got her dream at the bike race and at the swim meet.
*Patti broke a 15-year old Senior Olympic swim record the week before this meet. Don't mind my chlorine-styled hair.
*Patti and I with Chris Cook, the organizer of the night race. He is a mountain of a man with one of the kindest hearts ever.
*Notice her kit matches her helmet and her bike? Who do you think taught her that. :)
Another great achievement that makes me very happy to share in was Cheryl winning first place in the annual photo contest. The Davis Family has always treated me like royalty when I visit. I am always inspired by their selfless generosity and support. Kevin Jr. was friends with my little sister and over the years I have weaseled my way into the Davis Family. My family always speaks very highly of the Davis Family and I am thankful for them beyond words.
*Kevin Sr. and I at opening ceremonies with Olympic gold medalist (high jump), and one of the greatest track and field athletes in history, Dick Fosbury.
*These guys are stunt pogo-stick exhibitionists who performed at opening ceremonies. They carried me around so I didn't waste any energy.
*The back flip dismount is legit
For a few years now Cheryl has been the unofficial photographer of the games by going to as many events as she could and providing the games, and me, with hundreds of pictures. Her pictures have appeared in most of the promotional materials and sport booklets. Her pictures of me have appeared in the newspaper, magazines, and on the news. She tried very hard, and I pressed her forward just a little, to win the annual photo contest. No one deserves to win the photo contest more than her and I am glad she won.
*Cheryl and I after the 2015 triathlon
*Kevin Sr. and Cheryl with me at the 2014 race
Cheryl winning the photo contest after numerous years of awesome pictures was one of the highlights of my summer adventures, so happy for her. Her award is below.
*Cheryl was voted first place for her picture from the soaked run.
*She also won second place for her photo of me at the night bike race.
*John Lamb won bronze for this picture.
Equally as awesome is Sean Davis's new found inspiritation to compete next year in the bike race and triathlon. I had a lot of fun hanging out with Sean, I find him to be one of the most talkative and hilarious dudes I have ever met. By the time I left the games he was motivated with a plan of attack to get his dream. I always appreciate helping people who are motivated and committed. He's been working out 2x per day and I know he will do great.
*Montana Grizzly Bear at Scheels. I just now realized how terrible my outfit is.
*The most amazing basement athlete's lounge. 70inch TV for watching the Tour and for stretching. When I wasn't racing this is where I went.
*My pre opening ceremonies plan
I do a lot of events at the games. In between my 11 swimming events I also work in two bike races and the triathlon plus all my travel and warm ups. I have never mastered all the events in one weekend because the volume and intensity are so high. Even in 2013 when I won athlete of the year and 15 gold medals I was ragged and torn up by the end. When I won the triathlon at the end of the games I did so sick as a dog and digging for everything I had. The games are hard. They are fun in a way, but they are also very mentally and physically fatiguing. There was a point halfway through my swim events and after the two Saturday bike races that I was scared because I had never felt so tired and expended this early in the games. It is scary to push yourself to that edge and feel things you have never felt before and know that not only do you have more events to do, but you have to wind it up even tighter, dig even deeper, and come out even more tired. It was a good challenge, but it is scary at times. But, that's how I have made a name for myself here, by doing this every year when no one else wants to. I like that in a sick and twisted way.
Someone asked me this year, Don't you get tired? "Yes, extremely, but I don't quit when I am tired, I quit when I am done."
When I was done I had won my division in all my swimming events, got 2nd overall in the road race, won the night bike race, and finished 2nd place in the men's race at the triathlon to add another 14 medals to my trophy room.
The triathlon is one of the last events and even though I finished 2nd in the men's race I left wanting more. I came out behind the swim lead, worked my way up on the bike, but struggled to wind up my power. Late in the run the eventual men's winner, a strong racer from Wyoming, caught and passed me. I held off the charging chase pack by a few seconds. Not a bad showing by any means given my effort in the bike races, but I left feeling motivated to do better in the future.
*Jeez Bryan, don't show any urgency or anything. #non-chalant
*My face is telling in this picture, tired.
*Don't be jealous of my pink-clad V-taper torso. Time to make my tired legs hurt for another 16 miles.
*Great picture from Cheryl; digging into the corner
*I might be tired, but I don't quit when I'm tired, I quit when I'm done.
So the two big success of the games this year were the two bike races. In the morning I raced the 25 mile road race. Later that night I raced the time trial. The road race was a blast, but it was super hard. Right from the start a guy broke from the pack. He gave me a really bad feeling and I mentioned it to a few in the peloton but they convinced me he was just stretching out and wouldn't get too far. So we let him go.
*Montana State kit and the Orange Crush!
Bike racing is fun, riding in the peloton of riders is awesome, but you have to be heads up or it leads to big wipe outs. Our group stuck at around 8 riders. It complicated things slightly to have a hard wind from the side which forced our peloton to ride diagonal into the wind in an echelon slanting back from the middle of the road to the shoulder.We all took turns pulling on the front and then resting at the back. Anyone who knows me knows I can be a fierce competitor, but they also know that I have a very kind heart towards people. Our peloton had a few riders that didn't have the power of the rest of us, but I did my best to help them stay in the group and enjoy their time. I helped them by directing them where to ride, "move left, move right, drop back," and helped them stay out of trouble and not disrupt the group.
*Early action at the very start of the race
A couple times when these riders where on the front in the wind I could tell it was hard for them and our group's speed would swamp down. More than once I said, "Nice pull, go to the back and tuck into the draft, you're doing a good job." Taking their pull for them is horrible for my energy, but my heart would not let me just drop them when I could help and encourage them.
At about the 10-mile mark thing go a little tougher. Honestly I didn't want to leave the peloton because riding in a group of 8 is so much easier than fighting the wind alone. I always have to keep the other 13 events I have to complete in mind. The hills started and the strong rider in our group busted apart the peloton. I suffered and struggled to regain his wheel.
*One word, "wind."
When I caught back on I looked back and the peloton was blown apart and now it was Chris and I chasing towards the front. From this point on it was full throttle and some of the hardest bike riding I have done. We made the turn around about 90 seconds back from break away leader.
I told Chris, "Let's get him. Trade 10-second efforts with me and we will chase him down." We rode hard, and the leader rode hard. I committed to this effort and I knew my triathlon was going to pay for it, but I kept riding hard. We chased and chased trading efforts, and on the final hill I knew the break was going to survive. We took it down to about 20 seconds but couldn't get the last bit of time back. We never should have let him go, just like my gut warned me at the start.
Once I knew the break was gone it went from Chris and I being allies to fighting it out for the silver medal. I stayed right in Chris's slipstream up the climb. "Be patient, wait, wait, wait..." I kept telling myself. With 200 meters to go we both geared down in anticipation of the sprint. Our speed increased, but time slowed down and things moved slowly. "Wait, wait, wait..." With 100 meters to go we stood on our pedals in low gears. I pulled up along side and for 50 meters we rode next to each other at full power. At 25 meters I dropped it to my lowest gear and eased ahead crossing the line for the silver medal.
That was one of the hardest bike race efforts, but also most fun I have had. I had such a good time with those guys, but I knew that hard effort was just like a slow acting bomb in my legs. It was fun, though. I couldn't stick around long because I had to go to swimming. No rest for the wicked.
Saturday night was the time trial bike race. This is a hard event. Unlike the road race, you don't ride in packs, you ride it all alone as fast as you possibly can, and it is painful. The race is simple, you ride as hard and fast as you can the entire race. I only left the aero tuck once, and that was at the turn around, the rest was hard riding tucking out of the wind.
*Rural Montana
*Aero tuck; more pics from Cheryl!
I have never won this event. It is hard every year and there are many tough riders. I have finished 9th, 7th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd, and this year I am happy to say that I finally won. That is a special gold medal and is very satisfying to finally win after moving up from 9th. It was also very special to share that with Patti who got her dream. All great things.
*A perfect picture of pain!
*I told you Chris Cook was a very gentle and kind person; here he is encouraging the kids.
*So cute, the kids rode approximately 1 mile for their "race." #princess bikes!
*Patti, so adorable, so happy for you.
I am tired, but now I am done....Done.
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