OK, I’ve got a confession to make. People that know me, and who have ridden with me already know this but I’m going to let everyone else in on it too. I’m a very average rider, and I’m not ashamed of it. I ride a lot of different Stand Up bikes but I’m not an all star rider. I don’t push triple digit miles when I ride and I will never be the faster guy at an event. In fact, I’ve stopped going to events all together. Why? I’m looking for my balance.
Last year I turned 50 and decided to do things differently than I have in the past. One thing I’ve never been very good at is balance…in a holistic sense. I’ve always been the all-in, or all-out guy. If I wanted to get in shape, it was strict diet and never miss workouts. As I rolled through my late 40’s, hard work outs had less appeal than enjoying life. I found myself riding a roller coaster of guilt and obligation constantly wrestling with what I should do and what I wanted to do. The result was constant resolutions to make a change and disappointing long term follow through. The real problem is desire. If you don’t have the desire, you won’t have the follow through.
I found my desire was driven by what I thought I should do. Much of this was influenced by what is posted in online. I admire people for accomplishing amazing things, especially on Stand Up bikes, but it’s not something I desire. However, many times it seemed like something I should do. My desire is to strike a balance. I don’t want to be all-in or all-out, I want to be right in the middle. I want to enjoy the ride…literally and figuratively.