A Mann's Word: All Things Cycling and Life

After 5 at Speed Week

2010-05-01T21:42:00.001-06:00

Three more races later and we’ve learned to take control…as a TEAM.

The third stop of Speed Week, Tuesday April 27th, was Beaufort, SC. One of my best friends, Wells Fulton, claimed coastal South Carolina was one of the most beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing places to be, and he wasn’t lying. As soon as we pulled up to our parking spot at the marina, the picturesque backdrop of tidal lowlands and high-forested green islands, created a great setting for a twilight criterium. From the outset the team’s goals were to cover the breakaways and defend Hilton’s lead…maybe pick up some primes in the process. The early threatening breakaway was represented by United Healthcare (UHC) and Fly V, but with a sizable gap, we would be responsible to take back control of the race. With thirty minutes remaining, Bobby and Yosvany found the front and buried themselves to bring back the break setting up Rahsaan for a counter-attack. Quickly being reeled in by the peloton’s fresh legs Rahsaan’s agression allowed Hilton to follow another group into the winning breakaway of the day. In the end Fly V’s Aaron Kemp took the win from Hilton, but Hilton was still pleased saying, “We’re moving in the right direction, 3rd, 4th, and now back the 2nd place.”

Waking up in your bed and rolling straight from the door to the race is always a treat. After a relaxing day on Wednesday, April 28th, keeping our legs up at the Rice Planters Inn, in Walterboro, SC, we mounted up for the quick bike commute to the race course. A unique course with both technical turns and a long, open back straightaway, made it difficult for a break to find legs. About halfway through the race a break without anybody from OUCH-Bahati FDN built a 40 second gap, which created a threatening scenario. Holding position at the front, ready to give it all, Hilton made the call with about 15 laps to go that the break must come back. Once again, Bobby and Yosvany found the front and this time with the help of Phil. Digging hard, the gap came down steadily, and with three laps to go we were all together. UHC then took over with Hilton on their wheel, but after such a strong team effort, Hilton wasn’t going to let us down. Railing the last couple corners in smooth and seasoned fashion, Hilton opened up his sprint down the tight finishing straightaway, edging out UHC’s Menzies for the WIN! Super pumped about the win, we almost forgot that we nearly grabbed every prime in the process, with Bahati taking the biggest dig of his life (joke) to get the mid-race prime.

After a day transferring from Walterboro, SC to Greenville, SC (temporary home of my brother during his short tenure at Furman University playing for the men’s soccer team), we had a great opportunity for an easy recovery ride with the Kenda-Geargrinder team and a bunch of locals, including the infamous Neil Browne, calling the Triathlete Bicycle Shop home. Not only did we greatly enjoy the southern hospitality, but we also rode Paris Mountain…the notorious leg-breaking climb of the US Pro Road Race Championships. Now we’ve got the edge knowing what to prepare for come September…

After our rest day, racing commenced at the carnival-esk atmosphere of downtown Spartanburg, SC, a stones-throw from Greenville. A bit shorter in length than the previous days, 75 minutes of racing went by in the blink of an eye. It was a unique race in that it was hard to sit at the front of the peloton yet very easy to sit within the group, so lots of guys had rested-legs to challenge us for both breakaways and primes. Even with several breakaways represented by all major teams, the wicked-fast course prevented anything significant from staying away. Our game plan was to cover the breakaways and be prepared to set up a leadout for Hilton. As planned, with 12 laps to go it was OUCH-Bahati FDN’s Yosvany, Bobby, and Phil patiently getting set at the front to slowly reel back the last solo breakaway attempt by UHC’s Johnny Clarke (Hilton’s brother). Ramping it up hard in the remaining laps we delivered Hilton to the second to last corner. UHC being well-rested, had several guys with a good final kick to challenge Hilton and in the end it was UHC’s Jake Keough who took the win with Hilton rolling in 2nd. Although losing, we all remain very pleased, because with only 6 guys, our cohesion as a unit is greater than the others. Setting your goals, creating a plan, and executing is always very rewarding. We plan to defend Hilton’s overall lead until the very end, and hopefully pick up another win in the process.

Now up to Charlotte, North Carolina,
Phillip Mann

Historic Athens Twilight and Roswell Criteriums

2010-04-28T12:22:00.002-06:00

I'm not usually one to blog about races but the team has requested I share our southeastern experiences with you all. This post can also be found on www.bahatiracing.com. Here we go.

After only two days of racing at USA Crit Series Speed Week the squad of the OUCH-Bahati Foundation has quickly found out that a productive chemistry is evident.

Saturday, April 24th saw six OUCH-BFPCT riders (Bahati, Clarke, Lea, Rockmore, Falcon, and Mann) line up at the Terrapin Twilight in Athens, GA. The theme of the day amongst all the teams was the weather radar screen on everybody’s smart phones, but as hard as we tried, praying to the weather Gods was no use. From start to finish under patchy city street lighting, the roads were flooded with rain. Starting with about 150 riders, the field quickly whittled into half and by the midpoint of the race a veteran’s whit and tact helped Hilton Clarke find his way in the breakaway of the night. Nearly lapping the field, the break had plenty of time in the finale to attack and counter-attack, everybody trying to make a victorious charge to the finish line. In the end, Karl Menzies of United Healthcare p/b Maxxis took the victory with Alessandro Bazzana of Fly V Australia on his wheel. Although charging hard to catch Menzies and Bazzana, Clarke rolled in for third, solidifying his position on the podium.

The next day, Sunday, April 25th, was the polar opposite…at least in terms of weather in Roswell, GA. Prior to the Historic Roswell Criterium, Rahsaan did his due diligence escorting the young neophyte bike racers around the course during the youth races wearing the Bahati Foundation jacket. Shortly afterwards, the Pro racers were scurrying to the line bumping elbows fighting for the best spot knowing position before a top-level speedy criterium is crucial to conserving energy and finding success. The race started off at a pretty quick pace as guys tried to get into a breakaway, but no matter how hard the peloton threw stones to get the break established, with OUCH-Bahati Foundation’s Lea in the most opportunistic move, nothing stayed away until the end. With a little help from Mann, the final break was reeled in and Clarke and Bahati were positioned near the front. Although both were on good form and arguably the fastest men in the peloton, for any competitor positioning in the last couple laps was key, and being 6 inches in the wrong direction can mean running 1st or 10th. In this instance, Clarke and Bahati were 4th and 9th, respectively, behind Team Type 1’s winner, Ken Hanson.

The coming days will see the OUCH-Bahati Foundation head to Beaufort, SC and then to Walterboro, SC for the continuation of the USA Crits Series Speed Week. Learning and growing from the first couple races with this group has been paramount and will no doubt lead to the top step on the podium. More to come…

Sunny regards from the southeast,
Phillip Mann

Jorge Alvarado and I

2010-04-17T14:45:00.013-06:00

For this blog post, inspiration isn't hard to find...

It's been almost two weeks since the tragic and senseless death of my teammate Jorge Alvarado, and I feel it's time share my experience with Jorge at team camp in March.

Throughout camp we had been riding endless canyon roads traversing to and from the beach while staying in Agoura Hills, CA, which afforded us the opportunity to bond for hours on end. For a cycling team, camp is more than just riding bikes and shaking hands with sponsors and fans, it's about taking time to get to know those who will be closest with you while intensely suffering through bike races. Not to overplay the warrior analogy, but you truly want to know that a teammate has your back during the most trying times...during battle. For that reason, the hours spent on the bike and in hotel rooms are used to understand the history, motivations, drives, and obsessions of each teammate.

Up until the last day of camp, I thought Jorge was simply the happiest cyclist on the planet. He had a permanent smile. Humble and soft-spoken I had yet to dive into what defined Jorge. We hadn't had the conversation.

Literally, the last conversation I had on the bike with a teammate at camp was with Jorge after we climbed from the beach up Topanga Canyon Blvd and descended into Agoura Hills. Cruising at a conversational pace, Jorge and I began to chat. Being of Mexican-origin and me desiring to practice my Spanish, we began to chat in Jorge's native tongue. We talked about the excitement of the upcoming season, about what keeps us happy and busy off the bike, and about our new beautiful Cannondale SuperSix bikes. But what I remember most, was the topic of family. Jorge shared that he came from a large Catholic family, most of whom still resided in Mexico, but one that remained close through their strong cultural ties and religion convictions. He then asked about my family.

As I mentioned in a prior post, the JRM FDN sponsored heart assessments for the Bahati FDN Pro Cycling Team, and before the assessments I distributed packets to the riders and staff, which included a personal letter from me about the importance of the assessments, my comprehension of the emotions going through each rider, and about the life of Jordan. As I began to talk about my family with Jorge, it was clear that he did not understand the letter; the significances of the heart assessment or the tragic loss of Jordan from our lives.

After sharing my story, Jorge was visibly shaken. He instantly began contemplating his own relationships, and I believe our conversation reinforced to him the meaning and importance of his own family. He was clearly not only in love with life and his bike, but the deeper meaning and love for family is something he and I will share forever.

Be well, Jorge. -Phillip

BFPCT Heart Assessment Recap

2010-03-29T22:52:00.003-06:00

March 12, 2010 was a very important day for two organizations near and dear to my heart: the Jordan Robert Mann Foundation (JRM FDN) and the Bahati Foundation (FDN). On that day, the JRM FDN sponsored heart health assessments for the athletes and staff of the Bahati FDN Pro Cycling Team. Seeing that I was wearing two hats, one as Co-Director of the JRM FDN and the other as athlete of the Bahati FDN Pro Cycling Team, I was a bit nervous about facilitating the logistics while being instructed to rest as much as possible in preparation for the Bahati Foundation Launch and Team Presentation that evening (merits another blog post).

Leading up to the assessment we decided the best Pro Cycling Team deserved the best medical care. As such, we chose sports cardiologist, Dr. Tony Magalski, MD of Cardiovascular Consultants and Professor of Medicine, University of Missouri-Kansas City. With his extraordinary athlete-specific protocol, he would bring a team from the Athletic Heart Clinic of the St. Luke’s Mid-America Heart and Vascular Institute of Kansas City, MO consisting of Head Nurse and Assessment Director, Marcia McCoy, RN, MSN, Echocardiographer, Darby Hockman, and Electrocardiographer, Mary Nell Strautman. I should concede each of the aforementioned individuals, in addition to all at Cardiovascular Consultants, have been wonderful to our family since Jordan’s passing. We are blessed to have their support as Jordan’s FDN continues to grow.

The day of the assessments was incredibly busy, since the athletes and staff were hurrying to prepare for the FDN Launch and Team Presentation, so we only had a 5-hour window to evaluate 30 people. Normally a comprehensive assessment in the hospital would take several hours per individual, but the talented team was able to bring the assessment time down to 20-minutes per individual…pretty remarkable considering they were evaluating the athlete’s heart for nearly all conditions related to sudden cardiac death. Taking advantage of modern life-saving technologies, while being cost and time-effective? You decide if it’s worth it.

Please be well to your heart,

Phillip

You mean I can do something with this selfish lifestyle?

2009-11-11T17:11:00.008-07:00

Cycling, and more specifically bike racing, is arguably one of the most selfish lifestyles one may choose. Every daily decision revolves around training and recovery...what to eat, when to sleep, when to travel, who to talk to, how much money to spend, etc. It's simply the concept of resources with as much of those resources being allocated to training and recovery and minimal expenses being made on distractions, like vacationing, fine dining, entertainment, great New Belgium beer, etc. (Sorry Mom, even though I have more free Southwest flights than most, I can't fly home every weekend to see you. Love, Phillip)

We, as bike racers, become so smothered in self that we often times are remiss and neglect to acknowledge the bigger picture. How are we affecting other people? Are we still considered productive members of society? Can our lifestyle become a vehicle for something bigger?

Well, I'm excited to announce that I've been asked to become a member of a cycling team that I believe will transcend the sport of bike racing itself. As of November 4, 2009, I can officially present myself as a professional cyclist for the Bahati Foundation Pro Cycling Team. There is no doubt the team will garner many great wins and be a powerhouse in American cycling, but the team has an even greater mission, which is probably what excites me most about the organization.

The Bahati Foundation's mission, as stated in its first press release on the Colorado Premier Training website, is to inspire and empower underprivileged youth to rise above their circumstances. In doing so, the Foundation wants to provide the resources, support, and inspiration to help young people succeed in life. For me personally, simply knowing the positive influence this organization will have on others and knowing that I may play a small role humbles me. Thank you Bahati Foundation for the opportunity to be on a cycling team aiming to surpass the traditional definition of a cycling team...let's be great.

Sincerely,

Phillip

PS. I encourage you to follow the Bahati Foundation and team on twitter and facebook...great way to stay updated on the team, events, successes, challenges, etc.

Sorry for not partying...I mean blogging.

2009-10-20T22:49:00.002-06:00

Hello all,

I'm currently working diligently on completing my graduate studies at CSU and will be defending my research in about a week. That being said, my only free time is already set aside to get my butt whooped by some AIC workouts. More to come soon and sorry for not partying...I mean blogging.

-Phillip

PS...blog comments in the form of 'good luck, go get 'em tiger, kick a*#, etc.' are always accepted. Thanks for staying tuned!

A Bike and Tears...in Vegas?

2009-10-01T09:58:00.005-06:00

Last Wednesday, September 23^rd I boarded my trusty Boeing 737 captained by a lovely and comedic Southwest Airlines pilot, and one and a half hours later the miracle of flight took us, passengers and crew, what was once a two-week wagon ride over unforgiving and dangerous terrain, from Denver to Las Vegas. Dressed to impress—blazer, designer jeans, leather shoes, and all—I gathered my belongings, which included my bag and terribly cumbersome bike box, and hailed a $30 cab ride to the Venetian Hotel. The Venetian was not only the home of Interbike, the convention for which I was bailing on two days of work at CCF, AIC, and BOTPT, but it would serve as my inhabitance for two days and nights. Upon arrival I quickly phoned my KC Crew and met up with Bill Marshall of KCCX, Jeph Blanchard of J.Steadman Marketing and Creative Services, and John Rhein of Renaissance Cycling. After a welcoming handshake from Bill, an introduction to John whom I had never met, and a very awkward hug from a significantly larger man (Jeph), I was settled into an incredible suite graciously provided by said KC Crew. Regardless of what came of the following two days, I knew instantly I was surrounded by some of the most honest, hard working, fun-loving, and giving group of guys in the cycling community. In a place of sleepless nights, empty dreams, and where friendships change with the roll of a dice, I could rest peacefully knowing my leg-shaven, spandex-clad, vagabond cycling friends provided me with some solace.

Instead of continuing to dictate the outcome of each event that transpired, like how thankful I am to have been granted admission to the event because of another gracious friend, Steve Owens of Colorado Premier Training, or how cool it was to walk around with Bill and shake hands with 10,000 of his friends in the industry including Ashley of Outlaw Earth, I’d like to share a specific story that occurred on Thursday night after I raced the USA Crit Finals.

After finishing the exciting, energetic, and electric criterium, which also happened to be my final race of the season, the KC Crew and I returned to the hotel, where I unfortunately failed to rally the troops for what I’d hoped to be an adventurous and wild night on the town. Eagerly committed to fulfill my social agenda, I would finally convince John to descend the ear-popping thirty floors where we would avoid the horde of gabbling lights in the casino and find a little nook occupied by Sin City Brewery. After a couple beers and an awesome conversation about cycling and life that transcended any age barrier that may exist, John retired to our habitation around 2:00 am. In my mind I had this brilliant plan that I was going to take a gander through the casino, spend a couple quarters on some slot machines, be satisfied with losing money, and fall asleep content. Instead, the bartender sparked up a conversation. After some friendly dialogue, she uncovered that I resided in Fort Collins and promptly began to glow with excitement sharing her dream of moving to Fort Collins to manage a bar called Sliders. Conversation progressed for another 20 minutes or so--mostly surface chat about the incredible lifestyle in Fort Collins—when BOOM, she dropped it on me…my husband was killed in a motorcycle accident three months ago. A couple beers deep and SMACK, I still felt the slap across my face. Sharing that kind of news only meant one thing—whether or not you believe in a divine faith, this conversation was meant to occur. For another hour and a half we shared perspectives on life, death, relationships, love, moving forward, and finally ended our conversation at 3:30 am with buckets of tears covering the bar. If you would have asked me before my travels, what will you do while in Vegas, I never would have said, I’m going to Vegas to share a wonderful life experience and build a relationship, if only for a night, with a bartender at Sin City Brewery. Regardless, the kink in my plans sent me home thinking how blessed I am to have cycling as a passion because it positions me with opportunities and experiences where I’m able to build and maintain incredible relationships.

With a smile,

-Phil

9/11 and Cycling as a Source of Healing

2009-09-15T09:24:00.009-06:00

Not but a couple days ago on 9/11 was the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on American soil. As I ponder the Darryl Worley song, 'Have You Forgotten', I'm filled with the memory of sitting in my first-period marketing class of my high school senior year, watching the planes crash into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a desolate field in Pennsylvania. Remembering the 3,000 civilians who lost their lives that day and the 3,500 lost in the anti-terrorism wars I find my thoughts migrating away from the simple reality of death to the complex relationships left behind between the newly-deceased and others. You see, everybody whether conscious or not has a relationship with death--I lost my brother who embodied life and health at too young of age--and as such everybody must also have a personal relationship with healing.

Not only is the simple element of time a source of healing, but people may also seek healing through other mediums--religion, support groups, therapy, drugs, inspirational literature, a diary, etc. In my opinion one of the most powerful sources of healing that is often overlooked is physical activity.

Throughout my graduate studies at CSU I helped the Cancer Prevention Laboratory investigate the relationship between physical activity and breast cancer prevention, so as I absorbed myself into the literature on physical activity I frequently crossed the topic of physical activity and mental health. I must disclose I'm not an expert on mental health, but I do know that at the fundamental level, moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity releases endorphins, which are endogenous opioid polypeptides producing analgesia and a sense of well-being. Since pain is a product of loss and mourning, wouldn't it be wonderful to heal the pain with a healthy dose of endorphins? I think, YES!

There are many types of activities one may choose to help heal, but I'm biased towards cycling. Not only is one able to accomplish the necessary amount of exercise required to obtain an endorphin high, but also the activity is much easier on the body. Instead of being weak and deteriorated later in life principally because of degraded joints as a byproduct of other activities, cycling provides a lifetime of enjoyment and permits one to achieve their physical activity goals indefinitely. Based on personal experience, every time I clip into my BMC Pro Machine (thanks to Ciclismo and the Cycologist) all stress is lost, all pain is lost, and even if the outside world hasn't changed, stimulated in my mind is that wonderful endorphin high making my internal world a heck of a lot brighter.

My hope is you, as reader, find the same sense of enlightenment on the bike, and if you're struggling to find direction, I've found wonderful support with both the Athletic Improvement Center and Colorado Premier Training.

Happy pedaling,

Phillip Mann

Why am I writing?

2009-09-01T08:20:00.003-06:00

About a month ago, a mentor of mine, who also happens to be my marketing and creative services guy, J. Steadman, came to me after reading my website biography and said, Phil, you can write. You've always voiced valuable and intriguing knowledge and opinions, and since you are a part of such a unique professional cycling community, why don't you put your word in the public eye through a blog. A little hesitant at first, seeing that I'm also working a full time job for Club Colorado Fitness, training full time through the Athletic Improvement Center, trying to finish graduate school at Colorado State University, and always consumed with thoughts of Jordan's foundation, how am I to find time and energy to dedicate towards blogging? A month later and upon substantial reflection, I decided that yes, I would commit to a blog, and that it can be a forum for me to discuss not just cycling but also LIFE!

Before embarking on my maiden-voyage I found myself asking, what really is a blog and why am I blogging? To answer my questions, of course I went to the most knowledgeable of all information sources, Wikipedia, where I found that a blog is a type of website usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Not entirely intrigued by the general definition of the blog I continued reading. About halfway down the page I came across the definition for a 'Corporate Blog', which is written for the purposes of marketing, branding, and public relations. Aha! Although I wouldn't consider myself, Phillip Mann, a corporation, I'm constantly surrounded by the business of cycling and its products and services, so I think the definition of a corporate blog may provide the focus for which I am blogging.

After pondering my research and deliberating my purposes for developing this blog, I have decided my intent is two-fold. One, this blog provides a platform for me to provide both objective and subjective information on cycling-related topics, products, services, news, etc. And two, this blog is to help you, the reader, relate to what my father has coined the 'starving artist' lifestyle...a lifestyle where rational choices like making a stable income are often trumped by the passion for pushing your body to the limit, for merciless competition, for using a gift granted only to very few, and for overcoming physical and mental challenges...by choice. This is the lifestyle of a professional cyclist.

May you find enjoyment and enlightenment in future publications.

All the best,
Phillip Mann