Yup, its that time of year again for many of us in "less than San Diego" climates as I like to say. What to do? If you stop riding now you will have to deal with that awful "Spring Burn" that in some cases keeps you off your bike until summer, fall or even another spring. That is not an option for me.
So what then?
Run, hike, join a gym, anything!
Running will keep your legs and lungs in form. Somewhat different muscles but many of the same. More importantly it will keep you mentally in the mode of working out and feeling the adrenaline of doing it.
Hiking will help you build some leg strength if you do it right. Don't just stroll along. Run a bit, hit some hills like you would on a bike and enjoy being outside in the cold. Nothing is worse for a bike rider than bing couped up inside for a winter. I start to get nuts!
Gyms are great this time of year because there are others like you there working out and in some cases the people that are only concerned to look good on a beach are home building up more to burn off later. Brilliant time to go! Build up some muscle or strengthen up where you were weaker.
I keep this in mind year round as it is the best motivator for me...
"Pain is temporary, quitting is forever" - Lance Armstrong
Happy winter...whenever that arrives.
Everyday something inspires me. More recently, its seeing people who can't do something that they love due to something out of their control: illness, family situation or life's many challenges. Specifically, cycling. I see so many people that have been stricken with an illness that keeps them from being active or simply enjoying riding a bike. I see people that have family situations that keep them away. I see people that just have lost that spirit to put away the bag of chips and the TV remote and dust off their bike or running/walking shoes. They all have legitimate reasons, none of which I would ever criticize.
What inspires me is that I CAN go out there and do it. I consider myself fortunate to be able to do that. Generally I ride a bike (or several of them actually) for me, not for anyone else, just me. The more I see of people that can't and those that need something to keep them going, the more I admire people that ride a bike to help. Take the folks that this past weekend rode in the PanMass Challenge, a bike ride that covers 190 miles over two days. It raised 31 million dollars for cancer related research. That inspires me. The Lance Armstrong Foundation inspires me with the tireless work done by so many to raise awareness and funds. People that post the cool stuff they are doing on Facebook and never raise a dime is inspiring to me because they are doing IT. They CAN do it.
So what am I doing about it? Not sure exactly yet, but I am riding my bike tirelessly to be ready for how I will get involved. I am already worn out from seven months of riding this year, but have loved every hill, berm, jump, ramp, road and obstacle...I guess I even enjoy the cars that want to mess with me in traffic. I enjoy outsmarting them or invoking my "pedestrian" status at times to take over the road.
What are you doing? I hope you find a way to do what you can and love. I smile when I see the stare on somebody's face as I fly by them, do something cool on a BMX bike or teach someone how to fly up or down a mountain bike trail. But even more special, is the feeling of knowing that in some way what I am gearing up for soon will help some people recover from whatever ails them, whether it is illness, chaos or flat out laziness. I am one person. I am not out to save the world, just have some fun and use some abilities in me to share it and make some waves.
For those of you that know me well, you know that 2009 was a year I will hope to forget as quickly as possible. Sparing the details for everyone, 2010 is a year where change is in the air. If you know me at all, you know bikes are a huge part of my life, second only to my family, maybe third if I rank making a living ahead of riding a bike. You see where bikes stand though. Having the year that I did last year allowed me to rediscover some things, reading for one thing. One of the great books I read was "Its Not A About the Bike" by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins. Great book for anyone looking to read a truly amazing story about the human will and spirit. it also educates well on the process cancer survivors experiences. Amazing on both points.
After reading the book, and a second and third by Lance, I asked myself why I was still worrying about how my life had changed. I asked myself, "what would lance do", in this situation. Guess what? He went through the same thing. He is divorced with small children. In comparison to what he has persevered through, I felt pretty silly worrying about my situation. Lance being a bike rider, undoubtedly the greatest cyclist of all time, I related to his path back from his challenges - get on the bike and show yourself you are still alive and well. It is truly "not about the bike". It is about living for what it is you have, and not worrying about what you don't.
WHAT WOULD LANCE DO? Lance would say go for a ride. Lance would say focus on your life. Lance DID say "pain is temporary, quitting is forever". Not digging out from your challenges IS quitting. Don't quit on yourself. I am not quitting, never planned to and never expected to quit. Now let's just get this snow out of Massachusetts and get on with "WHAT LANCE WOULD DO" on two wheels.
LIVE STRONG - This is allot more than a cancer survivor website. I was amazed at what is available for anyone interested in something better for themself. Register and explore.
Some great videos to further introduce or grow your appreciation.
"Are you ridin' or hidin' " - Lance Armstrong.
WHAT WOULD LANCE DO? See you soon on the trails.
