Are you afraid? Why? Start living. Pursue dreams. Don’t make excuses. If you fail, get up. Try again. Do better. Be smarter next time. Anything rewarding and real requires effort. No one said it would be easy or 100-percent safe.
Riding a bike has its risks. You might crash. Or suffer hurt feelings after being dropped by faster riders. You could be one of those struck unexpectedly. God forbid, killed. But that same fate could happen in a car. Aboard an airplane. On foot in a crosswalk. Yes, it takes faith to throw a leg over the top tube and “share the road” as the minority mode of bicycle transportation that weighs a fraction of four- and two-wheeled vehicles powered by combustion engines. But sitting on the sofa (if you’re healthy) poses no serious challenge. That’s just a choice. The sofa is no the place to conquer fear, to push your body, to test physical and mental limits. What’s your biggest fear? Don’t let it scare you unnecessarily. Understand it. Address it. Work to solve it.
Last year, I found myself “in difficulty” on the most difficult section of this ride. A ride I first did in 1984 with youthful legs and mind. A ride I didn’t return to again for another 20 years later to re-awaken part of my soul, the part that needs to be taken to the edge. For me, the edge is high atop a mountain that doesn’t care who I am or why I’m there. It’s a place you’ve been, even if you haven’t climbed Alpe d’Huez or Ventoux. If you ride a bike, you’ve experienced your own version of the edge. The edge makes you strong and resilient. More alive than before. Acutely in tune with surroundings and limitations, both perceived and irrelevant. People you may know fear getting to that place. But you’re not one of them. Neither am I. Fear is a funny thing. Be sure to laugh at it (respectfully) if you ever start to doubt what you can achieve on the bike — and in life.
Training ride under blues skies friendly clouds
Related posts:
- The ride’s the thing: Why I bike This post originally appeared in the blog, 30 Days of Biking, on April 1. I’m popping it up on BC in its entirety for posterity’s sake. Also because I’m lazy today. Why do I ride? That’s like asking me why I breathe. Riding a bike is part of who I...
- The art of conversation OK, so earlier this week we’ve covered off on a few of the basics on the art of waving while in the saddle. Now Part II: Conversation. On an easy recovery spin Sunday, I was fortunate enough to experience 40 miles of rolling human interaction that was unexpected. Barely into...
- Remembering If you’re a cyclist in San Diego, by now you know of the tragedy on the Highway 56 bike path earlier this week that claimed the life of Nick Venuto, a 40-year-old husband and father of two young children. No words can convey the heartbreak. For those of us who...
- The ‘Deal Kitchen’ Here’s the deal: You get one shot. No matter who you are. Whether you’re good, bad or indifferent. Whether at the peak of youth, in the final stages, or barely beyond the start line at the highest professional levels. So much can happen. The seemingly impossible can go two directions so...
- The forest Although I was born by the ocean and have lived most of my life under the sun, the best San Diego memories I hold are those spent inland, away from salt water and summertime crowds. Given a choice, I’ve preferred trees at elevation. The “forest” — if you will. Seeing...
