by Linda Jellison
I’ve seen Paul at First Friday, at ‘cross races, and other Portland Velo events. Here is a guy who seems to be always smiling, laughing and enjoying himself. But he is intense about racing & he means business! When I sent him an email asking if he’d like to be the “featured member”, he responded back within a few hours. So clearly Paul is a guy who gets things done! I learned a lot from reading his answers to these questions.
How did you find Portland Velo, and what has your experience been with the club the past few years? Any highlights?
I joined PV a few years ago when I realized riding with college friends was starting not to work out. They didn’t like riding with me since my pace was a little too fast and I thought they were riding a little too slow. I found PV and enjoyed the different paces at the Saturday rides and kept on coming back for more. I started in the 19s, moved to the 21s, and then “attempted” riding with the race team. I always had to keep in mind that saying “if you want to ride better, then you need to ride with a group that is better”. Lucky for me the PV Saturday ride format allowed me to join the next group down the road when I got dropped.
What is your racing specialty (road, cross, mountain) and what do you love about it? What is your favorite race?
I’ve raced mountain bikes off and on since high school. I started racing cross about 4 years old based on a recommendation from a work colleague that is also a great mountain biker. Last year was my first year racing on the road with Portland Velo. I thought it would be great training for cross.
My primary race focus is cross. It offers the “off road” appeal of mountain biking without the nerve-racking descents. In my opinion, it’s the best racing format… it’s dirty, it’s hard, it doesn’t last too long (you can survive just about anything for 45 minutes), and the “scene” at the race is awesome.
What motivates you to train? How important was the Tuscon training camp in terms of your racing season? 
I’ve done endurance athletics since high school - swimming, rowing, and cycling. It took me quite a few years to figure out that I’m actually addicted to “working out”. I get very grumpy if I don’t work out for a couple weeks. Cycling works best for me since I have very bad knees. Racing adds a competitive element that helps drive the plan.
Most people think my training schedule is nuts. I do a lot of indoor trainer time at 5am in the morning. As a single dad, it’s what I need to do to balance work, cycling, and mostly importantly time with my son. Everyone is different. The key is to discover a plan that works for you and make it a “lifestyle” change if you can.
I took the trip to Tuscon for the week long training camp in February. I’ve never “lived like a pro” before, so it was an awesome experience. One of my key take-aways was the importance of recovery. It was very evident that the pro-riders that cooked us dinner each night took recovery very seriously. It definitely provided a “kick start” to my season and I plan to do it again in 2010.
Give an example of how cycling has changed some aspect of your life.
Many cyclists have a “weight loss” story and I’m no different. I really got back into cycling about 5 years ago. Started at about 205lbs. The riding started with century rides with my college friends and progressed over the years. I never really focused on dieting, but just focused on the cycling. Now I’m down to my college rowing weight at about 168lbs and plan to stick with that.
What is it about cycling or racing that you love the most?
Tough question to answer. There are so many things that I love about cycling. However, I think the best part of racing is after the race. There’s nothing better than reliving, discussing, writing/reading PV forums, and drinking recovery beverages (beer/coffee/recoverite) with folks that just suffered just as much as you did.
What is your favorite ride? Describe the perfect weather, route, or organized ride you would like to do again.
I’ve done the majority of organized century rides in Oregon, most of the mountain bike races, and lots of rides with PV. It’s much easier to tell you the rides I dislike the most and it’s tough to pick a favorite. I enjoy the variety that cycling offers. I’ll most likely enjoy it if there’s some hills, decent weather, good company, and two wheels involved.
How many bikes do you have? Which one is your favorite, and why?
In the past, I’ve had a bike for each discipline – road, cross, mountain. However, this year it was time to upgrade my road bike and I was fortunate to get a PV VeloVie. I’ve never own a race geometry bike before, so it was like going from a station wagon (my Roubaix with a triple) to a Ferrari. Definitely my favorite bike.
Who is the professional cyclist you would most like to emulate?
It took me about 6 months of road racing to start to figure out what kind of rider I was. Sprinter, time trialist, all arounder, etc. 
You gravitate to your strengths and I spend way too much time on the front – just ask any of the race team. Jens Voigt is a much smarter racer than I am, but he is a man that spends the right amount of time on the front working for his team-mates. He’s a “strong man” and never gives up. I respect that and hope I can do same for much faster guys on the PV race team.
What bike(s) or other cycling-related items are you lusting after right now?
I’d really like to get a set of “e-motion inside-ride” rollers. I spend a lot of time training inside due to my time schedule, so I might as well do it on the best equipment that can work on my form and keep me from falling off them at 5am.