Cyclist Remembers His Friend, Copes With Loss Through Bicycle Socks
(Publisher’s Note: Cyclist James Emery was biking with the group that was on the Dec. 10 Nipton ride that lost five cyclists because a truck driver drove his box truck into the cyclists. He first wrote about one of the five killed cyclists, his friend, Gerrard Nieva, on Facebook and LVSportsBiz.com, impressed with the writing, received permission to re-publish James’ words here.)
By James Emery for LVSportsBiz.com
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Some time early in 2017, Gerrard and I were carpooling to a race for the first of what would become many, many times. We drove for hours and hours just chatting, quoting movies, and strategizing the race plan. Finally we arrive and we both start getting ready and I notice him pulling out a BRAND NEW pair of white Swiftwick aspire 7” socks, still in their cardboard packaging. I remember these so specifically because I wear the exact same model and color.
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I asked him, “brand new socks on race day? That seems a bit odd or even risky…what if something is wrong with them or there’s a defect?”
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He shrugged and replied, “there’s not going to be anything wrong with them, I ALWAYS wear a brand new pair on race day. It’s my thing. For luck. Plus they look fresh and clean. At the very least I’m gonna look good out there. Then I’ll just work them into my regular rotation after breaking them in on race day.”
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This made quite the impression on me. We did our races that day and drove back home. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about any of our events that day. Not the race, not the weather, not even how we placed in the standings. All I do know is that I remember those socks and Gerrard’s explanation about them.
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Fast forward through these years and every time him and I would carpool to a race, when we arrived I would ask, “got them new socks?” Smirkingly Gerrard would reach into his bag and pull out the same white Swiftwick aspire 7” socks and say “you know it!” He did this EVERY time without fail. In fact, years ago we showed up to the St. George, UT crits and on this day it was a full downpour. I again asked him the same question but expected a different answer because why ruin a brand new pair of socks in the mud, rain, road grime/oil? He said “new socks on race day…period”. This particular day really makes me smile now because every once in awhile on the road back home on a regular ol’ weekly ride I’d catch him riding in a slightly dingy, off white, and speckled pair of the white Swiftwick 7” aspires and ask him, “those the St. George socks?” And he would chuckle and reply “yup.”
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In October of 2020 I ordered 8 pair of white Swiftwick 7” aspires. I got them in a big ziploc bag a couple weeks later and put them on the shelf in my closet waiting for January and the 2021 cycling season to begin before I opened them…
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Then December 10, 2020 happened…
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That bag of socks still sits on my closet shelf just where I left it. I see it every day and think of Gerrard and I can’t bring myself to wear them. I just keep using my dingy, worn out and yellowing from sunblock pairs that need to be retired.
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I’ve decided that those 8 pairs of socks are going to be for something special. So I’m going to have to buy some new socks to wear on regular training days because THOSE socks are for RACE DAY. I have already decided for myself that even in my running races where I wear a different type of sock than what I wear to ride in, I will start doing RACE DAY in a brand new pair of whatever sock I’m using because “new socks on race day.”
Race day is special. You’ve trained hard. You’ve planned. You’ve persevered. You’ve grown and overcome. Race day is special… it deserves fresh new socks.
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I get it now. I understand why Gerrard did what he did. You’ve worked hard and you should give yourself a little reward, even something as simple as a fresh pair of socks. Gerrard was a special man. Someone that deserved the very best.
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So the next time, you are about to do something SPECIAL (even if it’s not a race), get yourself a new pair of socks because…
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“NEW SOCKS ON RACE DAY!!”
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