| 9/20/2011 2:46:00 PM Mountain Biking Balancing Act Patrick Wiatrolik splits time as a Category One mountain biker, reserve firefighter, and dad | ||||||||
COTTONWOOD--As Patrick Wiatrolik quests for greatness and a national mountain biking championship, no roadmap exists to guide him. If there's a book out there entitled, "How to be a happily married father of three, reserve firefighter, and compete nationally on a mountain bike," Wiatrolik hasn't found it yet, so for now he's learning what works as he goes. His season just ended, and with his zeal for the sport and determination for national recognition still intact, Wiatrolik can look back at his season and evaluate what he did right and what he can do better next time. "The season went great. It was harder than I anticipated, but I showed a lot of improvement," said Wiatrolik. "I learned a lot from the races, I got a lot of experience at the national level and there's no holding back. It's flat-out brutal the entire time. If you're not ready for it, it shows. There is no give at all, and if you're not giving 100 percent all the time, you're not going to place or even be in the top 10." Success in mountain biking takes endurance, determination, and racing experience. You can win with athletic ability, but you also need to be crafty. Riders look for any advantage they can gain. Thousands of dollars are spent on equipment, dietary supplements, even aerodynamics, but if you start a race without a full tank of gas you're shooting yourself in the foot. Wiatrolik was running on E to start his most important race. "Nationals was in Sun Valley, Idaho, and I have to say I did pretty bad," said Wiatrolik. "I got in the top 20, and for a first time at nationals that's not that bad, but I drove 17 hours the night before and I got there at 4 a.m. The race was at 7 a.m. I was testing for a firefighting position and I didn't have a choice. My main priority is to get a full-time job as a fireman. It's give and take, and that's what I had to do." Wiatrolik is still looking for that full-time position and he tests often, but like mountain biking, there's a lot of competition. He has faith that he'll get an opportunity, just like he has faith he can eventually go pro. He says the most important thing for him to attain that goal in time on his bike training, but he also has responsibilities as a father and husband to uphold. Using a two-seat bike trailer with seat belts and a protective roll cage is one of his tricks in a balancing act between two passions. Benjamin, his middle child, attends Verde Valley Christian preschool and the family lives in Clarkdale. Instead of driving him to school and paying for childcare for his youngest, Zachary, Wiatrolik uses his bike for transportation training sessions. He says the extra 75 pounds of kid and trailer weight helps his leg strength. He also said putting his oldest, Avery, in preschool was hugely beneficial to her development, and as a kindergartner at Clarkdale-Jerome School she's already reading. She's also just learning to ride a bike and his dad offers this advice, "If you go faster, it's easier." A piece of wisdom that applies to his high-level riding as well. "My biggest triumph this season was the amount of knowledge I gained and the people I met," said Wiatrolik. "Placing wise, my top-five finish in a national race was huge, and my third place finish at the Arizona State Championship. In that race I was following the first and second place guys the whole way, but I just didn't have enough to get past them. We were all within a few hundred yards of each other and we all knew it because we raced with each other all season." Wiatrolik's job is making things work, and he's doing a pretty great job, but he says there are important players that help him along the way. "First off, I want to thank my family, my wife who lets me leave for multiple days on end to allow me to enjoy my hobby. All the guys at the firehouses play a huge role in supporting me as well, and they've always had my back, and they give me nothing but encouragement. My friends help me both mentally and financially. Aaron at Sultana helps out as much as possible. Brian Launius, M.D. is a guy I ride with a lot and he gives me a lot of support. Bradley Williams, M.D.,Ph.D gives me a lot of support too and that helps out immensely," Wiatrolik said. "My bike shop from back home in Illinois supplied me with my bike at a significant discount, otherwise I wouldn't be able to afford it. They're called the Cyclery and Fitness Center of Edwardsville." Wiatrolik has set his sights on a Category One national championship next year, and he just started a blog to document the journey. You can see it at http://patrickwiatrolik.blogspot.com/ |
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Article Verde Valley Independent
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