cjump
04 Mar 2009, 11:34 PM
it's been a while since i have kicked a ball around or much less played any sort of soccer game. the passion had left me for the winter months or maybe i came to the point of burnout. i even lost some of the passion for the game itself and for the arsenal.
my passion has seemed to be usurped by something quite forgotten by many. i have rediscovered cycling. as a kid i would ride mile upon miles through the local trails. thats all i wanted to do. as soon as i turned 16, it was all about the cars and the girls. my passion died almost completely, however every year the Tour de France lit a spark. last years tour made it catch fire.
i have been on my bike 5-6 days a week racking up hundreds of miles. through the rain, icy roads, gusting wind, and recently snow, i have suffered countless hours. it has been the most difficult thing i have ever done in my life. i always knew that riding a bike was hard. the images from The Tour de France always show one man in ecstasy and another 170 in pure pain. Cycling legend Eddy Merckx said it perfectly:
The pain changed from day to day, some days I would weep on my bike, on others it was OK.
one thing that has made me a better man is the mental part of riding. you always have to be aware! whether it is dodging potholes or getting out of the way of inept drivers, everything is there to make you suffer. but that isn't the real battle. it is the motivation to ride 10 more miles and climb 2 more hills or stay in the drops for 5 more minutes. the pain in your legs, in your back, in your hands, and most excruciatingly in your lungs begs you to stop, but you know you are riding for a better cause. all the pain only makes the next day easier.
my passion has seemed to be usurped by something quite forgotten by many. i have rediscovered cycling. as a kid i would ride mile upon miles through the local trails. thats all i wanted to do. as soon as i turned 16, it was all about the cars and the girls. my passion died almost completely, however every year the Tour de France lit a spark. last years tour made it catch fire.
i have been on my bike 5-6 days a week racking up hundreds of miles. through the rain, icy roads, gusting wind, and recently snow, i have suffered countless hours. it has been the most difficult thing i have ever done in my life. i always knew that riding a bike was hard. the images from The Tour de France always show one man in ecstasy and another 170 in pure pain. Cycling legend Eddy Merckx said it perfectly:
The pain changed from day to day, some days I would weep on my bike, on others it was OK.
one thing that has made me a better man is the mental part of riding. you always have to be aware! whether it is dodging potholes or getting out of the way of inept drivers, everything is there to make you suffer. but that isn't the real battle. it is the motivation to ride 10 more miles and climb 2 more hills or stay in the drops for 5 more minutes. the pain in your legs, in your back, in your hands, and most excruciatingly in your lungs begs you to stop, but you know you are riding for a better cause. all the pain only makes the next day easier.