I can remember a time in the not-so-distant past that I thought people who put on a helmet and skin-tight shorts to ride a fancy bicycle were just a little… well, maybe just a little off. I know, I know… that’s a bit judgmental. For context, I’ve ridden a Harley Davidson motorcycle for years without a helmet (before it became the law… and I wised up) and you’d certainly never catch me in spandex shorts (although leather chaps aren’t much better).
Well, what I’ve come to learn is that it’s not their fault… it’s like a bait and switch! You ride with a few good friends once to get some good cardiovascular exercise because, well – let’s face it… I’m not getting any younger! And my normal gym workouts just aren’t hitting on the cardio exercise that my heart is longing for if I expect it to be around for a while.
Ok, back to the bait and switch… You ride one time without all of this fancy gear and you realize that your bike (and heart) can’t keep up with these maniacs doing speeds of 20+ MPH… And did I mention that my rear end was hurting and bruised by the time I got home from my first 20 mile ride? Turns out that these silly spandex shorts actually serve a purpose beyond showing off your dad-bod… They actually have PADDING for all of your bottom parts! No one shared those details with me before this!
I’m now officially 9 months into this crazy sport (and it certainly is a sport) and I’ve been suckered into a new road bike, multiple pairs of padded butt shorts/pants, a helmet, gloves, shoes, pedals, heart monitors, cadence and speed sensors, and much, much more… just ask my wife. However, besides all that well-earned money blown on riding equipment and gear, I’ve gained so much more life.
Now, I could go for a while about all the benefits of cycling, but instead I’ll share a few of my own life lessons from the road…
Community
Cycling has been one of the most rewarding activities for me as it has truly combined the benefits of physical and mental training (exercise) with the ability to form deep friendships; conversation, laughter, accountability, and encouragement (community).
This group of cyclists have literally pulled me when I was too tired to keep going and encouraged me (mentally) when I needed the lift. I say, “literally pulled me”, because one of the things you learn when riding with a group of riders is a concept called a pace line. This is the epitome of the phrase “better together” because you learn to line up in a formation that helps the group share the burden of the load and ride much faster and longer than any one individual can do on their own.
A pace line can help tremendously when you’re tired as you can hang towards the back of the line and the draft be stronger enough to pull you, giving you a huge break in effort (sometimes you can even stop pedaling for a few moments). This ultimately helps to lower your heart rate and allows you to reserve energy for the longer ride ahead. This reminds me of a must-read article that I wrote on “Ever wonder why birds fly in a V-shaped formation?” – check that out too! Similar concept with a much longer explanation on the physics behind it all!
In fact, one of the most important lessons that I learned is that (unless the group is riding at a pace that’s beyond your abilities) you’re usually always better off putting in the extra effort to remain with the pack (taking advantage of the draft) versus breaking away and trying to bear the elements (wind, hills, traffic, etc.) on your own. Again, queue your favorite life analogy; “no man/woman was meant to live on an island…”
Meaningful growth is slow
It’s no secret that we live in a world where technology and the digital highway we live on are reshaping our expectations. With the click of button, we can order anything we want online (groceries or hot meals, cars, furniture or a virtual doctors visit) and within hours it can be right in front of us! We have little patience to wait for anything… The reality is that although we can automate and speed up so many things, the human soul doesn’t operate like that; and that can feel frustrating!
When I first started riding I jumped into a group of seasoned cyclists and after 8 months I’m still struggling to keep up the speed and power required to ride at the pace they’re naturally riding at without my heart rate going through the roof! My wife used to joke on me because I’d come home after every ride and find a time to sneak in a quick nap – my body was worn down!
After doing tons of research and talking to the experts, the ONLY way to catch up is to slow down. I won’t go into details here but look up heart rate zone training… essentially, it says that to build a stronger heart, you have to ride regularly at a lower heart rate and allow your heart to gradually grow and expand to support a larger flow of blood with each individual heartbeat thereby lowering your heart rate over time. Y’all… the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life was to cycle at a slower pace for the majority of my rides. I’ll tell you another thing – it ain’t easy either!
It ain’t easy, but it’s worth it!
Not only is the process slow, but it’s hard! On my harder training days where I ride faster and higher heart rates, it takes both mental and physical obedience to not give in to my mind or legs trying to say “STOP, this hurts!”. It’s an art in and of itself to clear those thoughts and feelings and push through to the other side where you put those barriers behind you and push harder until you can hear the beautiful sound of the tires flying across the pavement at 20+MPH!
The short of it is this; we humans don’t grow, change, or form into the people we ultimately want to be without first slowing down, being patient and showing up day in and day out to do the hard work regardless of the pain we might endure! The soul just doesn’t work that way… In fact, if we go back to community, I’ve noticed that people draw closer to each other when they go through hard stuff together! A bond forms that’s much deeper rooted because of that shared experience!
Now, all that said, I don’t expect everyone to start cycling, but I’d highly encourage you to find an activity you enjoy that allows for you to focus on your overall health and wellbeing (mind, body and spirit) while simultaneously being surrounded by a community of friends that can inspire, help equip you, encourage you, and ultimately help you to become the best version of you.
MARK SCALIA 