Why I Ride

So I am sitting on the deck of my cabin in the mountains on a breezy Sunday morning looking out into the wood. My daughter is still asleep and the only sounds are those of the wind pushing through the leaves on the trees and the birds chirping.

One cannot help but to think about life.

I had this stray thought "boy would I love to be on my bicycle right about now". That thought lead to a whole line of questions. Am I obsessed with cycling? Should I ride less?

I road 50 miles in 90 degree heat yesterday and I put at least 90 more miles in over the last week. I ride as much as I possibly can. In the steep hills of Pittsburgh, I log well over 100 miles a week. For a pro cyclist, that isn't a lot of miles. but for 44 year old guy who works far more that he should, it's a heck of a lot of time. Add prep time and my incessant tinkering on my bicycles, it adds up to even more.

So why do I ride?

• I really enjoy it. I get a great sense of accomplishment from it. And, I feel good.
  
• Bycling keeps me young. I remember reading a survey some time ago that asked the question "why do you cycle? The number one answer was "to stay young". At 44 years of age, I honestly believe that cycling keeps me young. Not only do I get a great sense of accomplishment hanging with the younger riders, but with a body fat content below 15%, a blood pressure of 110 / 70 and a resting heart rate of 46, I think my body is younger.
• Cycling reduces stress. There are far to many days when I will come home from work stressed out or pissed off. I will often get on my bike to "think", only to find that 2 hours later, I haven't thought about a damn thing. Regardless, I feel a whole heck of a lot better.
• Cycling meets my need to tinker. I love to tinker. Simply maintaining my bikes is enjoyable. There is something about the fusion of exercise and technology that also gives me enjoyment. Plus, if I have a bad day on the bike, I can blame the bike. Its like fishing, if I don't catch any fish, it was simply because the fish weren't biting (and not that I suck at fishing).
• I cannot run. I have flat feet and at 44 years of age, running simply destroys my body.

So, do I ride too much? Am I obsessed with cycling? Probably. But, cycling serves me well and until either my wife or boss complains, I ain't changing a thing.