John Jantz

“No one enjoys John’s jokes more than he does.”

My brother coined that phrase a few years ago. And it is a concept I try to take to heart – to not take myself too seriously. After a college running career filled with too much stress, too many injuries, and not enough fun, I swore that I would never run another step. Fortunately, after a brief “weight-lifting phase” I found cycling as my next frontier in 2016, swearing that I would learn the lessons from my running in my new adventures.

Fortunately, my track engine carried over to the bike and I quickly found success, becoming a Cat 1 in just two seasons and racing the US Pro Road Tour in 2019; culminating in a top-10 on the Queen Stage at the Cascade Classic. Though I loved every second of those experiences, the time off work and stress/danger of the events led me to seek a competitive outlet in other ways than traditional road racing.

Given the long New England winters, I was already used to riding the trainer and I soon found that I could get the same high from pushing myself indoors as I could in a peloton; for me the setting is less important than the challenge of finding my limits. Naturally, Zwift racing has been a perfect fit and the fact that I can participate on my own schedule has made it seem like a much more sustainable way to stay fit and compete, though I still love outdoor hillclimbs and time-trials. Whatever the setting, I try to keep in mind that the second I stop having fun is the second that I should take a step back and re-evaluate; the best training advice I have ever gotten is, “Slow down, enjoy the views and always stop for: 1) coffee; 2) pictures; 3) preferably both.”

When I’m not on the bike you can find me in a lab, working with my hands, reading, or chasing the perfect espresso shot from my custom-modified Gaggia Classic. But you *won’t* find me winning any sprints…