Huff-puff-push-pull-sit-stand

There is nothing like sitting on your tail in an office under florescent lights too long. Shoulders slump. Your posture transforms into something Mom would find appalling. Legs stiffen and become heavy like water-sodden logs on a still river. Going nowhere fast. After a brutal session at the desk, you’ve gotten about as far from cycling as you can get. Not by choice. Never. But even a peek at Velo News or BikeSnobNYC can’t even cure the what ails you.

The best medicine? The bike. Plus a hill or two. Or five. Name your goal. Pick your route. Start pedaling. You must. It’s too easy to become part of the furniture and relent to a plate of decadent food after a tough day at work. Remember: A little pain now delivers so much more gain later — during a night of sleep, upon rising with a clear head, after walking out the front door in the bright morning. That ride the evening before washes away all remnants of whatever happened the previous 8, 10, or 12 hours, and it preps you for the next shift. A rapid pulse may steal your breath at first on those post-work rides. But your soul wins every time against a decision to surrender to the daily rigors of life. Go ahead. Ride on. You deserve it, and you earned it.

Huff-puff-push-pull-sit-stand. It’s what came to mind tonight on the ride while slogging up a sharp climb five times. What’s it mean? Working your heart and lungs like you mean it. Pedaling with style. Powering like a diesel in the saddle, then dancing on the pedals. Who’s ready to ride?

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