Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Verde Valley Independent Article 1


4/26/2011 2:46:00 PM
Verde Valley man aspires to go pro
Patrick Wiatrolik traverses down a rocky portion of a trail at Dead Horse State Park. VVN/Sean Morris
Patrick Wiatrolik traverses down a rocky portion of a trail at Dead Horse State Park. VVN/Sean Morris
Patrick Wiatrolik powers up a rocky incline on a trail at Dead Horse State Park. VVN/Sean Morris
Patrick Wiatrolik powers up a rocky incline on a trail at Dead Horse State Park. VVN/Sean Morris

Sean Morris
Sports Reporter


Cat One is right below pro--it's the highest amateur level. Cottonwood resident Patrick Wiatrolik isMountain Biking in Cat One right now, and he's training to go pro.

It's a huge commitment. There's only an elite group of riders who make it to the top because the competition is so fierce.

"It depends on how hard I train, and how many races I do," said Wiatrolik. "I'd like to say it could be this year, but in reality there's such an incredible difference in abilities, it will probably be a year or two years of solid riding and racing to be able to get to the pro level because you need that good competition to improve."

Luckily for Wiatrolik, the trails around the Verde Valley are the perfect proving ground for him to refine his skills. He came from the Midwest about five years ago, and the trails out here are a lot different.

"The trails around here are awesome. There's a lot of technical riding, and that's fun because I really enjoy the technical aspects--it definitely makes things a lot harder. It's a completely different breed of trails than those in the Midwest. You can't even compare them because they're just a different caliber of riding. A lot of my friends that come out to visit say these trails are absolutely hands-down amazing, best trails in the world," said Wiatrolik.

Riding nearly every day on the trails in the Verde Valley to train for races is equivalent to running with weights strapped to your legs, or warming up with a bat weight before stepping to the plate.

"Most of these trails are a little bit harder than the trails I race on," said Wiatrolik. "It gives me the ability to push myself further. With the technical riding and longer climbs around here, I continually improve and I can push myself to a further extent."

And you can tell he's been pushing pretty hard; his thighs are the size of Easter hams. The muscle definition of his legs is like a badge of honor--evidence of countless training hours pushing up hills.

Wiatrolik started Mountain Biking about 12 years ago, but his cycling background goes back even further to his BMX days. Sprinkle in a little road cycling and you realize Wiatrolik would probably ride anything with two wheels.

"My background in BMX helps me hugely. Every bit of cycling, whether it's BMX, road cycling, ormountain biking, they all go back and forth and help with one another. It helps to have a background in all of them. That's why I try to keep doing them, to a certain extent, to improve my riding ability," said Wiatrolik.

Recently he sold some of his spare bikes to fund his racing season. He also consolidated and bought a Giant XTC Advanced. He trains and races on the same bike.

"I just wanted to have something close to what the guys at the top are racing with," said Wiatrolik.

Right now, Wiatrolik is a reserve firefighter. That means he works when stations need him to cover. The hours aren't consistent, but he takes what he can get.

"If I was offered a full-time position I would take it," said Wiatrolik, "but I wouldn't stop training."

A lot of pro riders don't make enough money to quit their day jobs. Only a handful of pros are positioned well enough with sponsorships to make a living solely on a Mountain Bike racing career.

The hours of a typical firefighter (a few days on, a few days off) also lend themselves to having time for training and racing.

Balancing a family life and a career with Mountain Biking aspirations can be tricky. Wiatrolik is gone for several days at a time, traveling far distances around the country for various competitions, but he says his wife makes it easy on him.

"I have a five-year-old daughter named Avery, I have a two and a half-year-old son named Benjamin, and an almost two year-old son named Zachary," said Wiatrolik. "My wife means everything to me, she's my world. Without her I probably wouldn't exist. She does everything. She takes care of me and allows me to do what I want with racing. She allows me to maximize my potential and supports my racing, in all aspects."

Article Verde Valley Independent

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
Patrick Wiatrolik rides his bike on the foothills of Mingus Mountain close to his Clarkdale home. VVN/Sean Morris
Patrick Wiatrolik rides his bike on the foothills of Mingus Mountain close to his Clarkdale home. VVN/Sean Morris
Patrick Wiatrolik rides around his Mountain Gate Neighborhood with his three children, Benjamin, Zachary, and Avery. VVN/Sean Morris
Patrick Wiatrolik rides around his Mountain Gate Neighborhood with his three children, Benjamin, Zachary, and Avery. VVN/Sean Morris

Sean Morris
Sports Reporter


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/