pride and responsibility part two

I have sent out as much booty as I could and will follow up with the balance over the course of this coming week. Thank you for bearing with me and also my repetitive emails about clothing sizes, chainrings, and whatever else (schedules) I had here but never transcribed for posterity. eff man, I am so scattered.

Please remember this from an earlier email, as well as from years past in case you've heard me state it before: there is only one first reason we exist and why we go to races. That first reason is that we owe our souls to every single sponsor, equipment provider, behind-the-scenes donor, and fans/followers/friends who support us. We are at the races to prove a point. That point is to be ambassadors for all of those I just mentioned. (Y)our obligation is to know everything about every company on the kits as well as about every part we use until the season ends. We are at the venues to represent, and represent well. We (the team - you - us - the folks who raced here before 2009) give good brand. In an era and in a climate in which teams falter, vaporize, splinter, cease to exist, and just plain can't raise a f**king dime, we are flush. We are quite flush atmo. Data point - we're not Radio Shack flush, but heck - I can only panhandle so much, huh. We have parts. We have a good war chest of funds. And we have each other.

The second and third reasons we exist are interchangeable. That we have each other is a gift. The gift gives back in spades, especially to me atmo. But our team is not just a team. This is a troupe, a cabal, a closed society, and a family. We should bleed for each other and for 'cross. We should know how lucky we are that our paths have crossed (no pun...) so that the next four plus months can be filled with opportunities that afford us memories we'll cherish for the rest of our lives. Cue the string section. Let's each of us do what we can - or have to - to ensure that the other 5 has a banner filled season filled with mighty fine and fun times at the venues, at the meals, while traveling god awful miles to hotels we can't find, on start lines, and every place we spend time with each other.

Let's also use our support system and each other to help everyone reading this have the most successful season of racing possible. We also have personal goals, and we each have an obligation to help the others reach those goals atmo. We are each others motivators, coaches, pit crews, and shoulders if needed. It's a gift to be in each others lives, racing 'cross, and having the support and camaraderie that we have. Let's represent, let's make memories, and let's race.