Phuc U GBM...

So I'm casually cruising through the open tabs sporadically as I can between stuff on a crazy monday...

and I read Thom's post about Mike Patrick.

And then i'm left with this posted on a forum two months ago:

I would like to update you on Mike's condition. Mike had a second-opinion de-bulking surgery August 10th in NYC. He had a number of critical post-surgical complications, and was not expected to survive. Mike pulled thru (are you surprised???) and has made it out of the hospital. Although Mike's surgery reduced the horrendous cranial pressure he was suffering, it also revealed that that his cancer is now a GBM IV and is very advanced. The remaining tumor has caused paralyis on his right side and near total aphasia. Amazingly, Mike remains strong and is now in a care facility near his home.

I didn't know Mike well. But that fateful race at Gloucester Grind (I actually won a race - yeah I beat exactly one other sport clydesdale) I was starting to ride a bit of the course before the race with Burke and Mike comes riding up and Burke and Mike started chatting a bit.

I was amazed by this guy's skills. Sure ThomP was crazy mad that race in '08 but I guess Mike wasn't much of a slouch either. He was dancing over the rocks and roots taking to burke and I was dying and had no hope of keeping up. That guy has more mt bike skills in one toe than i have total.

But the ominous post, and the stage four GBM? That's what Nicholson was ultimately struck down with. Brushes with greatness we have at times.

Somewhere is a post about this weekend, but I couldn't go on without a small memorialized of someone I barely knew and met maybe once, but watched from afar as his skills and legend were revealed to me. And yeah He and ThomP rode that course more than 2x faster than I was able to. Thom won that day btw.

Everytime GBM comes up I think of Mark Nicholson.

And yeah, I still miss that guy, his enthusiasm and attitude, just an awesome guy to talk to, go to races with and hang out with.

Next weekend is my weekend of racing to dedicate in his memory. He only did a few CX races but realizing i was at three of the five I know he did and I drove him to three of them and they were Plymouth North in '07 and both days at Plymouth in '08. That sunday at Plymouth south, he raced, finished 2nd then hung out with my youngest while I raced.

'07 was cold and raining and we had Lucy with us. She ate one of his bananas I think. Chabot was miserable that day (probably because I beat him). It was cold in '08 but not too wet. He had dropped the scarf mid race and I picked it up for him. the next day was cold but super sunny.

So totally didn't intent to head this direction today.

Northampton report will be coming up. Hopefully before this weekend rolls around.