A More Simple Time: How Cycling Saved My Soul

For my first 10 years as a sportswriter I was living the dream. I focused on the inspirational side of sports, searching for stories of triumph over trials. My mantra was simple: Dreams do come true. I knew it because I lived it. No athlete I covered exemplified that better than Loyola Marymount basketball star Hank Gathers. I had the pleasure of covering Hank, and getting to know him quite well while working on a story about his life. His story told of a climb from the ghetto of North Philadelphia to a sure-fire first round draft pick. The day Hank Gathers collapsed on the basketball court and died, my beliefs were shaken to my core. I found myself adrift, and slowly morphing into a cynical sportswriter that I had fought hard for years to avoid. I wrestled with myself, searching for answers on bike rides along the Pacific Coast Highway. Then, by twist of fate, cycling became more than my escape. It became my beat. "A More Simple Time: How Cycling Saved My Soul" chronicles my years covering cycling in the US from 1989 to 1996, when I rose to become the most respected American journalist covering cycling. I became intimately close to some of the most extraordinary people I've ever met. They graciously allowed me access into their lives, and shared their tales. I feel privileged to be able to tell their stories.