On a recent ride I had a complete stranger ask me what the Large and Fit Society was as he had checked out the sticker on my car I so proudly display.  I gave him my most enthusiastic reply trying to share how wonderful it was not to be focused on maintaining this so called perfect physique that elite level racers have yet enjoying the bike and the ride as much as any of them.  I could tell he did not understand what I was alluding to, as he himself looked more like one of them then one of us.  He asked me why I didn't just lose weight and get better; I could be part of the fast groups instead of stuck in the back or behind when people went out for a ride.  Well, he caught me off guard with that one as I had not expected to be challenged•However I quickly remembered who I was representing.  This is what I shared with him.

Last June, a close group of us adventured down to Asheville, NC for the first time to check out the trails the area is so famous for.  As it was our first trip down to these mountains we knew we were going to need local help finding the sweet trails that may not be as well known.  We landed at Carolina Fatz and were treated with a great welcome and absolutely perfect hospitality.  The trials they picked for us were fantastic and gave us a variety of experiences.  Those were quality guys and ones we hope to see again.

After several wonderful rides in Pisgah, we headed back to the Bent Creek area with the goal to find and ride Green's Lick.  This is one of those trails where you hang on and smile the entire way down. 

So the four of us headed out with cloudy skies and what ended up as torrential rain towards the end of the ride, but I'll get to that later.  There was only one other rider in our group that fit the Large and Fit Society physique and his name is Mike Galinger.  He is one of my best friends in the world and firmly cemented this title by the end of the ride.  On our way up the mountain I began to lose massive amounts of energy.  I knew a cold was coming, but refused to admit defeat.  I kept dropping back from the rest of them as I could not get my legs to work like I knew they could.  Mike kept waiting for me encouraging me to look around and not focus on the negative, but to remind myself where we were and that a cold beer waited for me in our favorite after ride place, the Asheville Brewing Company.  Man, I was struggling and having a terrible time keeping my front wheel pointed towards the trail.  Eventually the two of us caught up to the others who had rented a movie, had a picnic and taken a nap all while waiting for us.  So they were refreshed to say the least.  As soon as we hooked up with them it began to rain, not your average rain, but the kind that makes you look out for pairs of animals searching for Noah.

The two skinny racer boys took off and I told Mike to go ahead.  He did not say a word, but simply stayed with me.  We were together for 2 hours riding, walking, and resting as we covered maybe 4 miles.  It was a nightmare for me and a ride I will never forget.  We eventually made it down in one piece and I bought  Mike's dinner and drinks that night as I owed him big time.  He was great, not once has he reminded me of my defeat and to this day it goes without saying that a special bond was cemented.

So back to reality and this guy (the stranger) looks at me and simply questions why I shared that lame story with him regarding my friend Mike.  He goes on and says if I would have weighed less it would have taken me less time and went into the science of weight versus power.  I told him he was right, it would have been physically less taxing to ride up the mountain.  On the other hand, if Mike had not been as physically big as I was•then he would not have had the size to carry such a big heart.

I will never forget that ride and how Mike helped motivate me.  I guess to be a successful VP of Motivation for such a prestigious organization; I need to learn from the best.

 --Dave Bradley