Seasons of Cycling

So what does this mean exactly...seasons of cycling? The first time I heard it many years ago I thought to myself "there is no way! The bike is forever. We will always ride hard and fast until we bust from the inside out." And there were MANY fun days on two wheels...training, racing, riding, ripping downhill descents at break-neck velocity, taking in the sights and sounds (and smells) of every possible environment you can imagine from the Pacific Ocean, to circumnavigating Lake Tahoe, to riding through forests, over rocks/gravel/sand/mud, over bridges, adjacent to canals and rendering plants, and so much more.

And yet life interrupts. Kids grow-up, businesses grow and command time, medical events occur, and financial demands crop-up - just to think of a few. I've had a few medical events in my life. All pretty significant to be honest. The last one I had in 2020 really threw a wrench in the biking. At the time I was very fit...riding upwards of 4,000-6,000 miles per year and bam...stroke. Sitting in the kitchen and boom. Stroke. And that event led to open heart surgery to remove a tumor from my heart, that gave me the stroke. It was an amazing week to put it mildly. AND it was discovered in the weeks to come that I have had 3 strokes, confirmed by MRI. The other two were previous and it's unclear when. They were small.

I rode 55 miles this weekend, between two rides, and it felt real good to do so. I love coffee and I stopped yesterday at the cafe, and took 15-20 minutes to reflect and think. I do A LOT of thinking on my bike. I solve problems, weigh the pros and cons of many things, pray, hangout with God, talk to myself A LOT (no seriously I do), and just enjoy the freedom and peace the bike gives me. It is one of THE MOST liberating and healthy activities I have ever known.

It's ok that I am in a new season with it these days. Patience is key. There was a guy yesterday that was lights out fast as he past me. I saw him coming and waved him through on my left, and I was chuckling a little and reminiscing for a minute when I would go lights out more than not. Definitely fun! I have some solid stories and memories on two wheels.

The point of all this is keep your hobbies and pastimes in front of you. They are very important to our well-being, mentally, physically, emotionally. It is completely normal that what we do go full throttle sometimes and other times it slows down some. It's ok and frankly, quite normal. Ebbs and flows like the tide. I am looking forward to more rides this week. I have put them into my calendar and will make them happen.

Make it a great week! - Paul