tuesday, second night in Reading. race is on thursday at 2 pm EST with 3 times up a winding switchback climb near the finish. 80 miles or so, which isn't as long as some stages at Georgia, but like that one page papers Professor Plantinga would ask us to write in college, which were harder than the 15-20 pagers; the ones where you could blab and cut and paste huge quotes. . the one pager, though, every sentence mattered. no, every word mattered. there's no room to dabble. at Reading, there will be no time for your legs to open up. you better be ready to go at the line. just now back from dinner. talk at the table about next year. .. already next year. ..sometimes the sheets get lifted. you realize this profession is fleeting. i haven't even had a chance to take my mid-season break and already talk about next year; already people getting sized up, myself included. and what it takes to continue. . each season, another game of survival; a game of preservation. and sometimes one decision one year leads to being in or out of a discussion or opportunity for the next. people who had opportunity to ride for BMC last year and turned it down may not have the same opportunity this fall. and they might regret it. before you know it a door slammed shut, without your knowing. a moment in a race when you did or didn't do something: defines you as a rider. all you can do is keep seeking to improve. continuous improvement, and honesty with yourself. your own honest feed back is probably the most productive.. . is there or isn't there things you can improve on? are there things in your control that can change for the better, like your diet, your sleep, your training? and if so, why aren't you changing them? . . . and sometimes the biggest issue might be: why don't i get along with my teammates? .. there's a multitude of reason of why you may or may not make it in this industry.