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Opportunity to have a dream come true
Ruthie Matthes is No. 6 in the world in the latest International Cycling Union cross country rankings. The 35-year-old American was the UCI World Cup champion in 1992 and the national cross country champion from 1996-98. Matthes currently is training for the Olympic Games in Sydney. Check out Matthes' diary every other week on CNNSI.com.
July 24, 2000
WOW! Hoorah! Yippee! Picture me skipping on the sidewalk, or riding a wheelie for a block or two! I got my confirmation, official notice of being named to the Olympic team a week ago, and since then it has taken some time to really let it sink in. I have dreamed of this for so many years, here it is, my opportunity to have a dream come true.
After not making the team in 1996, I had a lot of questions. The biggest was, "Do I continue racing for four more years for a second chance?" There were many opportunities to change direction and follow another road, so to speak, yet I knew inside I had worked hard and I had the skills and drive to follow through with a goal which began so long ago on the ski slopes of my childhood. I could not and would not pass up the chance to try again. So I am on my way. There is a lot of work to do in the next nine weeks. I must keep my focus and keep the priorities straight, streamline my system. I have been asked about preventing mental burnout. Through the years I have found several ways to deal with mental fatigue -- a day or a few away from the bike, doing something I have missed for a long time, lunch with a friend, an ice cream cone, calling up my 93-year-old aunt and talking about the big picture of life, going to a movie. Anything that gets me "out" of the world of cycling, and enjoying something else. The relief can take a day or a month, depending on the level of fatigue. I feel it is better to take a day off a week even if I do not feel I absolutely need it because if I really need it it may be two or three. Preventative medicine. The next question is what winning a medal in Sydney would mean to me personally. My goal for Sydney is to have the performance of my life. there are so many factors that are out of my control in the quest for a medal. So in my preparation for the race I am focusing on what I can influence for a top performance and letting the actual result of the race come as it will. I believe the North American racers have very strong chances for medals. With Alison Sydor and Roland Green from Canada both medaling in this year's World Championships and Alison Dunlap's consistent top four places in the World Cup races. Those three are favored for medals and then there are the remainder of us having to have made strict qualifications -- top 10 for the women and top 20 for the men in international competition. As my mentor has said, the Olympic Games race is a lottery, and I sure want to get a winning ticket. This weekend is the third of five Norba National races in Deer Valley, Ca. Check it out on the web. Talk to you in two weeks. -- Ruthie
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