Give More Than You Get

Meet Sean Jager - he is a leader in every way. He has an incredible history in cycling with so much to learn from. There is nothing better than sharing a ride with Sean.  He shares his history, advice and LOTOAJ stories in this episode of the Mi Duole podcast.   Sean's Cycling Advice:  * Learn something from every cyclist you share the road/trail with. I strive to spark a conversation with those I ride or race with for any significant amount of time. Not only does it help pass the miles, but I have learned valuable cycling skills & life lessons from so many people who I never would have met otherwise. Anything from shifting a gear down prior to standing so I don’t take someone out behind me, to Deep stuff that has helped me be a better husband, father and human being.
 * Give more than you get from the sport. I have received so much from cycling in the form of friendship, community, mental strength, purpose, health (mostly - haha) but most importantly- opportunity to serve others. This last LOTOJA was a prime example, I had very little of the fitness required to compete but plenty of reason to finish. Leaving Montpelier I met two guys, friends who took up the sport last season and made a goal to race LOTOJA together. They reminded me of my first one, full of excitement & energy and having no idea what to do with all of it. For the next few hours they picked my brain clean of stuff I had't thought of for years. It was a great experience for me to Give back.
 * Empty the Tank and leave it all on the course. There have been many times I have finished a race depleted, falling short of my goal or expectation. At times its a wake up call to train harder, or change up my routines, etc. Although I would prefer to have met or beat my goal times or placement, I still feel a sense of accomplishment and a path for improvement. I have also had the unfortunate experience of finishing a race knowing I had more to give and because I was either weak minded, lazy in tactics, or afraid of going too deep, I didn’t leave it all on the course. That’s a rough place to be. You leave a bit angry and disappointed. I would much rather know I gave it all than left something in the tank.