That was my favorite quote from Loon Camp today. Some pretty rough conditions today but still a lot of fun. The area that we were riding in today is the best riding in the state of Minnesota, so even in bad weather it is fun! I rode from my sister's in Preston to the ride in a light rain and then met up with the team. There was a crash and a mechanical with in the first ten miles. I rode my three speed and got some looks right away. I couldn't sell this bike for $100 on ebay but I love it. It is a great training tool. My biggest problem was my raincoat flying in the wind. I got it when I weighed 220 and now I weigh 180, it is like a flag in the wind. After lunch I took it off and was moving along much better. It was windy on the top of the bluffs. Some of us took the Root River Trail back to the camp from Houston. I was riding behind John B. and it was like we were motor pacing, man is he strong! I finished by riding in an absolute downpour and pulled into my sister's garage soaked. Great ride, 105 miles and many great climbs! Thanks to the Loon leadership that takes this on and makes it a great time!!
My 5 year old son, Owen, had the second best quote of the day as I pulled into the garage... "I am hungry just looking at you."
Bike Love Continued... Thanks for reading John!
Input Output- What ever you put in is exactly what you will get out. I didn’t love team sports. We always had a bully on the team that would blame everyone else for our failures and the coaches didn’t seem very interested in creating an environment where that didn’t happen. In cycling you get out exactly what you put into it. If you train and ride you will grow. It is completely based on how far you want to take it. You are in charge.
53X13- Be confident, love it, and ride hard. Believe in yourself! You are BBA! Ride the big gear in what you do. Be strong in your convictions. Love who you are and hammer at life. Livestrong. The miles over the road give you a confidence to stand up for yourself. You have ridden through rain, hail and snow, you have battled fierce headwinds and all of those challenges prepare you for the road ahead. It is a dirty road, but a beautiful road and to soak in life you have to face it with a passion and energy that is naturally brought out by riding your bike. I have a picture of George Hincapie covered in mud . I tell my class and the parents that this is my metaphor for life. They cringe... then I tell them to look at his eyes and it is very apparent that George wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The picture also has fans lining the road and they are clean and under umbrellas. I ask what is it that they wish for? To be in the race. You have to face the mud from roads built 500 years ago to truly experience life.
Family Sport- Do it forever and do it as a family. Youth sports is a complete nut house. Sportsmanship is out the window and the adults have completely destroyed it. I know that the potential for a good experience is there but the loud parents do not get it and cast a shadow over all the good that there is to get from youth sports. Get your kids on a bike. There are so many lessons in simply going for a ride. Get out there in a positive environment, challenge yourselves and get fit. Do it as a family and with friends. Work on building each other up rather than tearing someone down.
You’ve already won- Just getting on is the win. A friend of mine said when you ride a bike simply getting on is the win. You forget about wins and losses, it is taken care of, you can simply focus on how much you love the sport. Wouldn’t it be great if that is how we treated all of our sports.
Goal: Get those around me to keep challenging themselves in someway other than one upping each other... hopefully on a bike.
Scenarios- 1) Last night we were riding and one of our riders ran out of gas and got dropped. I hung back for him and he got on my wheel, he started to draft. He told me to go on as all cyclist will, but this is the beauty of the sport. I was able to shield this stranger from the wind which allowed him to complete the ride with us. We finished as a group as we always do. As simple as that seems, it is exactly what I love about this sport, it is about lifting up rather than pulling down.
2) "Cycling is so hard, the suffering is so intense, that it's absolutely cleansing. The pain is so deep and strong that a curtain descends over your brain... Once, someone asked me what pleasure I took in riding for so long. 'Pleasure?' I said. 'I don't understand the question.' I didn't do it for pleasure, I did it for pain."
LANCE ARMSTRONG, WINNER TOUR DE FRANCE 1999 – 2004
3) Concrete benefits of cycling
A stronger and healthier heart, Increased HDL, Decreased total cholesterol, Reduced blood pressure, Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, decreased body fat, decreased risk for diabetes, reduced feelings of anxiety and depression, improved sleep, and higher levels of energy.
4) Jay’s Take-
Suffering- Much of the cycling experience is pleasure, but just like life, there is hardship and suffering. However, suffering on a bicycle can be a life changing experience. Take hill climbing; the act of suffering and overcoming becomes so cleansing and rewarding that you begin to seek a bigger challenge.
Society today is mislead with the sense of entitlement and fairness. It has come to the point that we do not accept challenge. We seem to think that we are entitled to many things or that everything must be fair. Given these notions we struggle when things don't meet our expectations. As a result we tend to blame, complain, and remain unsatisfied.
Life's true rewards are not born from these ideals, but rather, from suffering. It's through suffering that we are cleansed and we can come to understand that there is no absolute entitlement or fairness. It is good to experience hardship and to learn that success can be earned through hard work, despite tough times (or tough climbs) and bad breaks. Facing challenges brings out the wonderful and genuine sensations of life; appreciation, gratitude, and accomplishment.
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