Michael Collins

I don't know how else to get in touch with those folks who lent a helping hand picking pieces of me up off the ground following the finish of the race this past week. It's truly an amazing community - husbands, wives, racers, officials, kids... I was a bit out of it, but I recall countless folks being involved. I am mostly okay (gory details at http://www.iammike.org/2015/11/23/all-i-want-for-christmas/) and am thankful from the bottom of my heart to those folks who came to my aid. I've yet to hear from the fellow who tried to occupy my space, but from asking and snooping around it sounds like he's doing pretty well too.

I didn't get a chance to climb the podium this weekend (I won the race) so I'd like to use this opportunity at the metaphorical one to remind everyone that we are amateurs; we all have regular lives to return to when the racing is done and fun is the ENTIRE name of the game. If you're like me, you race for fractions of a penny on the dollar (my ratio went way down after this weekend). Knowing when to back off is a lesson I luckily learned early in my racing career and without involving anyone else (broken wrist trying to force room where there wasn't any). It's an invaluable one and one that doesn't require trip to the ER to learn. Please, please, please ride safely out there.

Michael Collins