I'm back in Portland after a long couple of flights. But I lucked out and got a first-class upgrade from SFO to PDX, which made the last leg of the trip much better.
Now that I'm back, it seems like a good time to make a general announcement of some big plans that have been in the works for a little while now. This is going to be my last season as a professional road cyclist. I've made the decision to return to school to pursue my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, and I'll be enrolling in a joint program at Georgia Tech and Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Adrienne and I will be setting out on the move to Atlanta in just a few days, with the plan being for an August 1st arrival. She'll be searching for an elementary education position while I finish out the racing season from there.
Though this decision was not arrived at easily, I'm confident it's the right time to move on in life. At 28, there's no doubt I could have kept riding for a number of years yet, but I was always determined to move on when I felt that I'd stopped markedly improving. Plus, it seems best to leave while I'm still having fun, as opposed to staying to the point where it just becomes a job. I was able to make a living as a cyclist for four years (plus a couple years of unpaid apprenticeship), during which time I saw both the US and the world, got to compete in some incredible races, and had the honor of being teammates with some of the best athletes in the world. It's been a great experience.
Just as difficult as the decision to leave bike racing, and perhaps more so, is the choice to leave Portland. Hopefully it's just temporary. We're having a small get together tomorrow night, July 24th, at the Northwest Portland Lucky Lab (1945 NW Quimby) at 7ish. Anyone's invited who'd like to stop by and say goodbye. It'd be great to see as many people as possible. But everyone cannot buy us a beer. That'd be a bad idea. I'll also be back on August 8th for the Portland Twilight Criterium (thanks Brad!), so that'll be one more opportunity to catch up with everyone in the local bike community.
There're still a couple months of bike racing season left, so I'll save the full farewell until then. If anyone has any tips on training in Atlanta, drop me an email.
10 Comments:
or better yet:
"Soon to be a to be Collegiate National Champion". The bar is a lot lower and you can get a jersey even as a PhD.
Portland's loss is Atlanta's gain.
Doug already is a Collegiate National Champion. He got one back in his OSU Beaver days.
Congrats Doug. Enjoy going back to school and your move to Atlanta. We will miss seeing you racing around here in Oregon.
did you already race the maximum years at collegiate?
I don't know much about Atlanta, except it's crazy hot, and they have some crazy cityblock big, two story hotdog joint...
But we all know you will return... someday.
Doug,
I wish you the best of luck.
It's been big fun watching you climb--sometimes literally, as-in the hills at SFGP--all the way from your GC win at Sea Otter until now.
--Clark
Wishing you and Adrienne the best in Atlanta. Also, good luck to your schooling. Take care.
ER
Best of luck! We have great riding up in southwest Virginia, come visit.
Doug, I hate to see you leave the sport, but I know that this is an important change for you and I wish you and Adrienne all the best in your move to Atlanta.
It has been a tremendous pleasure to work with you.
I have a dissertation idea - how about designing a heart for me that will pump enough blood to my legs for me to cat up?
2-story hotdog joint, eh? Yeah, it's an Atlanta institution:
http://www.thevarsity.com/
Glad to hear that Scout made it OK.
Talk to you soon,
A&J
Post a Comment
<< Home