The Obsessive Nature of Cycling is something every cyclist encounters, harder, faster, longer, when does it end? For me cycling started as a passion and has quickly turned into an obsession. These are powerful words and I don’t mean them in an unhealthy way, but cycling has become the biggest part of my life, something that is there every day.
I’m currently working a night shift editing video or a Xfinity (Comcast) channel covering the World Cup. It’s a job I almost didn’t take because of the hours, because it would interrupt my cycling schedule. Right now I wake up, drink some bulletproof coffee, get on the bike and ride my heart out. Then I get home, eat something shower and head to work. I work get home late, sleep and repeat. It’s crazy to think that all of my free time is devoted to cycling.
Then there are the weekends, they are planed around the long rides that I do with Jessica. Last weekend we rode from Idaho Spring up to the top of Loveland Pass and back, what an amazing ride. Tuesdays we workout together and do a spinning class. But even though this time is devoted to cycling, I’m happy, fulfilled because it’s so amazing.
I try to figure out why, why is cycling so addictive. How does it become an obsession? It becomes part of who you are, it consumes you. Take Jessica for example, she didn’t even have a bike six months ago. Today she has rode thousands of miles, climbed mountains, rode to the continental divide and and made cycling a major part of her life. How does this happen? What is it about cycling?
For me, there is a moment about 2 minutes into a ride. Suddenly I feel like I’m one with the bike. It feels good sitting on the saddle, the cool breeze blowing by. As I increase my speed I feel invincible. Everyday I look at what I’ve accomplished and where I want to ride next.
I recently discovered something called the Colorado Triple Crown. The Rocky Mountain Cycling Club (RMCC) Colorado Triple Crown is a series of ultra-cycling road events. These events are the most difficult single-day, double century road bicycle events in the state of Colorado! Completion of any three of the Colorado Triple Crown stages in a single calendar year earns the cyclist the unique designation of a Colorado Triple Crown Finisher! So of course I discover this and think, hmmm I want to do this. So the goal has been set for next year. I still have some serious thinking to do before I commit, but I know in my heart my next challenge has already been found.
One amazing aspect of cycling that I’m just discovering, and that’s the fitness aspect. I’m getting fit, I can tell I can ride faster and stronger that I ever have before. It’s a great feeling and it pushes me to want to ride more and more. I also realize that a two hour ride simply does not feel like sufficient workout anymore.
I think it’s safe to say that cycling will alway be part of my life. Right now I’m able to devote a great deal of time to it, I’m sure that will not always be the case, but I know it’s going to alway be there.
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