Win one for the Gipper...

Inspirational...






Not so much...








I've been called a lot of things in my life, but 'inspiring'....not so much. Since the article came out on Monday, I have received numerous calls, texts and emails from friends, family members and people I have never met. I even got one long lost relative thing, but I'm to disturbed to speak about it. My phone has beeped and chimed in the past three days more than it ever has. It's been crazy. But one particular message has me frazzled and I must set the record straight.

"Your blog is, inspiring". That was how the message started. I was shocked. She even threw in the comma to add emotion. Read it again and remember to pause, see what I'm talking about? I've never thought of myself this way. Hell, I've always thought of myself as an average guy, and I don't mean that in a self-deprecating way. I live a normal life, married, three kids (ok - the three kids thing doesn't meet the US average, but we don't have any dogs so that that should even it out) and I like to cut my grass and throw steaks on the grill. Now, my picture is in the paper and I'm being called an inspiration? I need to clear this up, so here we go...

My sports career started in 5th grade and ended in 8th. I enjoyed playing baseball and basketball for the St. Dominic Warriors, but four years of being called "Pasta Butt" by Coach Mathis was tiring. I made an attempt to play baseball for CBHS, but hearing that my summers would be filled with summer league put an end to that thought. But then I had an epiphany, if I couldn't play on the team, I could still help the team. So I became the water boy for the football team. I spent the first two years of high school hauling coolers back and forth from the gym to the field. It was awesome. My big break came my junior year, I was moved up from water boy to trainer. This came with some serious perks. I now had my own staff of "prospects" lugging water. I taped ankles before games and practice and I got a really cool fanny pack that carried my tape rolls and scissors. When a man went down during a game...I was the guy, the man in charge of rushing the field to assess the injury. "Prospects" always followed behind me with water for the other players. Shit, it got me a letter-man's jacket. I was a bad ass, at least I thought. Now, do I believe I inspired anyone with my fanny pack-wearing technique or ankle taping? No.

Let's move on to college. The first day of college I rode my bike to class and it was stolen. For the next four years I used that as an excuse to do absolutely no exercise. I was in a fraternity. We got drunk, ate chicken tenders and watched The Price is Right. I even spent 6 months living in my brother-in-law's den in a tent. I graduated with a 2.3 GPA, but I had my degree. Besides my name etched in the sidewalk in front of Old Main do I think I inspired anyone or left my mark in Fayetteville? No.

Shortly after graduation I got the chance to move to Nashville and open a new restaurant. I worked my ass off, 7 days a week. We had a great product and I was proud of it. But there was one problem, a local food writer. We will just refer to this person as "Cat Shit". She reviewed us about six months in, and it was devastating. My favorite line was " I would rather eat molded spaghetti out of the back of my refrigerator". Do you see where I'm going with this? Didn't really inspire anyone in Nashville.

Since that time I have been working with my family here at Frank Grisanti's. I love my job. We have been in business for 25 years and our customer base is strong. We do our best to put out a great product every night. I get stopped everyday and told how good someone's meal was, but is that someone feeling inspired? I don't think so. Okay, I did remember one thing. If teaching middle-aged housewives how to cook meals on their $10,000 Viking ranges is inspiring, I've got that one in the bag.

That brings us to the present. I began by riding my bike for a healthier life, and my passion grew and I decided to take it to another level. In the process I meet new friends and become a part of something I really enjoy. Everything was going great, then I broke my leg. When I got accepted to do Leadville I thought, impossible. But then I thought about the people that inspired me in the movie. Everyone they highlighted had a story of overcoming an obstacle. Some completed the race and others didn't, but they tried. I used these people as my inspiration. When I started this blog, shit, I didn't think I would stick it out for more than a week, but I have. It's become something more for me, a way to put myself out there. When I saw my picture in the Health & Fitness section I was baffled. A Grisanti in the paper not in a chef coat? That's cool.

I want everyone who has sent me a message about this blog or commented on the article to know how much it means to me. I want to cross that line, for myself and others. That message of "inspiration" I received is the best compliment I have ever gotten. I have thought about it everyday and it will be with me on every training ride and in Colorado. Thanks, Ms. 'Your-blog-is,- inspiring'. And I hope you all continue reading, and that my story will inspire you to get out there and accomplish a goal. Seriously, thanks so much.

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”
-Lance Armstrong