The date was January 18th 2008, and we were milling about in Al Ain, ahead of a race up Jebel Hafeet. I befriended a group of Filipino boys, who worked at Wolfi's Bike Shop in Dubai, and together we managed to pack their six bicycles, plus them and a couple more friends, in my Nissan X-Trail. Three of us were their "sag" support during the race. They were skinny, they were small, and they were fast.
I had designs on racing, too. But while I'd have awesome training sessions during the week, I'd often hit the wall during those fast and furious Friday morning rides with Wolfi and had to drag my body and bike alone back to the starting point. But summer of 2009, though, was magical. I somehow gained insight into how to train more effectively and prepare my body more wisely. From August 2009 to February 2010, I was flying. I consistently kept up with the lead group, even as they lifted the speed in the second half of the ride.
The Filipino boys and I drifted, but they were always so kind to help take care of me, whenever they could. For example, I had a flat on one ride, and they graciously and quickly fix it for me.
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