“In like a lion, out like a lamb

 “My new teammates Cara and Chas remind me what it’s like to be a college student again”-Billy.

As I sat and read through my teammate’s blog last week, I read that quote a second and third time. It left me frozen at my laptop screen as I realized that for the first time in awhile I forgot what it was like to be a college student myself. I tried jamming so many things into the beginning of the semester that I was barely having time to enjoy them. It wasn’t a surprise that it all caught up with me and I was left locked out my apartment dressed in my bike kit and slippers.

            After a long phone call with my dad who is 330 miles back home in New Jersey, I found a new perspective and reconnected with my old self again. It reminded me why I wanted to learn how to ride a road bike in the first place: to be able to finally join my dad on bike rides. Somehow in the mist of the chaos, I had spread myself so thin to the point that I grown farther away from my family. I’m glad that it only took a couple little dumb mistakes to realize it, but I just wish I would’ve seen it before it affected others around me as well.

(My dad and I at the Navy road race last spring)

           

On a brighter note, I was able to make it to some pretty sick competitions in the past month.

I traveled down to UNC with the WVU Cycling team for an amazing weekend with a second in the crit and third in the road race. 

(Chas and I trying to stay warm before the race. I will never own enough clothes to be warm.)

(My girls and I at the start line.)

I also became closer with some new friends :) 

I ended the month with Equestrian Semifinals Championship. Even though I know you all are huge collegiate equestrian super fans, I will briefly explain what this means. Each Region sends their Regional Champion Western Team to one of three Semi-Final sites (which is Ohio, Texas, and North Carolina this year). The three top teams at each site will advance onto Finals in May. Riders from all over the country from California to Arizona to Indiana shuffled into the St Andrews University show grounds bright and early for day 1. By day 2 only a few schools remained standing. It ended up being the closest horse show I have ever been apart of with Clemson and St Andrews running away with the top 2 spots and leaving a 3-way tie for the last Nationals spot going into the last class between Delaware Valley, New York State, and WVU. Unfortunately, Delaware Valley took the 3^rd spot. However, one of my teammates qualified for Nationals individually, so we are all wishing her the best of luck.

(Members of the WVU Equestrian Team that qualified for Semifinals)

I prepare to finish out the last month of this semester with a few changes set forth. The first is obvious: To not overschedule myself. I need to refocus on school and slowing down the pace to be able to enjoy every minute left of being a student. Second, to never go a week without talking to my family again. No one should ever be too busy to talk to his or her mom. Period.

I have already started my first steps into getting back to the old way of life. I recently stepped down as Co-Captain of the Equestrian Team. I’ve come to the conclusion that I can only focus on one sport while I finish out the remaining of my Masters to be able to get the most out of it.

March happened in the split of a second and it left me with a giant lesson learned the hard way.

Side lesson learned: don’t race sick. Ever. Even if it is a training race. Your doctor will lecture you when he gives you antibiotics. Also, the last 4 laps will be the worst. I also learned this the hard way…