And Now What…

Several days ago I made the decision to give up riding. It’s not that I’ve fallen out of love with it — I’ve never enjoyed cycling more. However, the time away from my mother and the thought that her safety might be compromised by my absence, got the better of me. I purchased a stair-stepper to act as a surrogate in fulfilling my (physical and psychological) need for cardiovascular exercise. Long before the bicycle became my shtick, I was a devotee of the stair-stepper. 

After my first session on the stair-stepper and off the bike, I began to rethink things.

It turns out that my relationship with cycling has evolved over the last six years, becoming stronger and more complex. Cycling is more than cardiovascular exercise for me, it’s an escape, a medicine, and a therapy, and in ways indoor cardio can’t approach. Corny as it sounds, daily cycling has become a part of me.

So now what…?

The internal dialogue to figure all of this out has been going on for months. It’s been difficult and draining. And the truth is, I haven’t come to any resolution yet, despite that I thought I had. My mother’s safety and well-being can’t be compromised. Yet the benefits of cycling have helped steer my life into a place of stability, calmness, and presence I wasn’t capable of six years ago.

There’s also the aspect of this blog as well as my daily Spoke And Word page on Facebook. To quote Seth Godin…

“The most important blog is the one you write…“

The combination of my daily cycling and the subsequent reflection of my thoughts while pedaling have become who I am. To think that, on a dime, I could quit being the guy that I’ve become in the last six years, doesn’t seem so realistic — not from the vantage point of my sofa on this cold morning. 

So what does this mean…?.

It may mean shorter rides or perhaps riding early in the morning while my mother is still asleep. Maybe every-other-day, with opposing days on the stair-stepper. I dunno 🤷🏼‍♂️

I understand that at some point I won’t be able to leave my mother for too long, and at some point after that, I won’t be able to leave her at all. I’m just not sure we’re there yet, and God I hope that’s not the worst rationalization of my life.

Anyway, if you’ve read this far I thank you. And I don’t do it often, but I welcome your thoughts and opinion on how or if I should continue riding.

 This is what I think about when I ride… Jhciacb 

This week by the numbers…

Bikes Ridden: 6

Miles: 145

Climbing: 6,600’

Mph Avg: 15.6

Calories: 8,300

Seat Time: 09 hours 18 minutes

Whether you ride a bike or not, thank you for taking the time to ride along with me today. If you haven’t already, please scroll up and subscribe. If you like what you read, give it a like and a share. If not, just keep scrollin’. Oh, and there’s this from Glenn Frey. Enjoy…