The human race

Today’s official. For the next few months, we no longer “save” daylight in what has been a great cycling year. For some, things transition to the indoor trainer or spin class. For others, saddle time will be limited to weekends and holidays away from the office, quarterly earnings and EBITDA.

Numbers matter. In business. In the Web. In reaching goals.

One week after the Livestrong Challenge in Austin, Texas, several thoughts swirl in my head. 3,800 riders and countless runners raised $4 million for the foundation. In four cities (Austin, Seattle, San Jose and Philadelphia) $10 million was raised.

Amazing. In the worst year for the U.S. economy since the Great Depression, people figured out a way to give. People rode. People ran. It seems fitting. Why?

We’re all in the same race. The human one. You know what I mean. Being in a group of driven, motivated and positive people is unlike anything else on this planet. It feeds hope. It nourishes the soul. It frames life in a whole new way.

Riding 90 miles last Sunday with the names of 25 special people penned on my jersey by my two daughters reminded me how lucky I am. The jersey and all it represented lifted my tempo when the Texas winds gusted. I can’t describe how. But I know the reason why: We’re all in this together.

The human race is the Sunday Crave.

6,354 miles (as of Oct. 31)

454,825 feet

Following through Next week I’m scheduled to be in Austin, Texas. Can”t wait. It’s been 5 long years since I did the “Ride for the Roses” with my wife and best friend Therese. She’s a cancer survivor (thyroid), adventure-seeker and doer of things memorable. She first encouraged me in 2003 to get...
The hangover Because you have to reach a few lows to appreciate the highs, I’m experiencing a cycling hangover this week. No, I didn’t party or overdo the mileage during the Tour of California. The pain stems from this combo: not enough riding and too much man-made stress. That’s life for many...
5,017 / 346,814 Part of the enjoyment in riding is tracking progress. It’s a mosaic from the data, the season’s race results, and the elapsed times for the places where you train against the clock. You know the numbers — almost by heart. And you know when you’re doing better (or worse). The...
Post-ride buzz It’s something people who don’t ride bikes will ever understand: the post-ride buzz. Nice and natural. Healthy. Satisfying. A renewable energy source. Environmental. We feel the buzz without sensing it. We crave it without knowing it. It’s our yin and yang, ebb and flow, goodness and virtue. The post-ride buzz...
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...