So I’m riding the other day and Rider Die asks, “Yo Ugly, Who ya racing?” At the time, I did not think I was racing, but maybe, just maybe, I was. The raw challenge and sense of accomplishment tied up with racing is hard to match in any other format and, if you are well-prepared, competition can be more than fun. When I started cycling again, I wanted to forgo racing and focus on adventure cycling for both the challenges and experiences that it provides.
When you are not racing, are you riding or training? As I think about it, up till now, I feel I have been training. I track distance, elevation gain or loss, and speed on every ride. The thought was, if I train hard now, I will be more comfortable on those adventure rides scheduled for sometime in my future. But what about NOW? Am I enjoying my time on the bike now? If I stop training, my only concern would be the time I spend on the bike now. Where am I at and where am I going on this ride. What about you? When you take the bike out, have you been riding or training?
I encourage everyone to train less and ride more, even if you are training for an event in the future. When we talk about our rides, let’s use MPH to mean “Memories Per Hour”, not how fast we went. And the next time you see me all glassy eyed or head down and pushing on the cranks, just yell at me. Say “Hey Ugly, slow down and look around”.
