People ask me all the time how I could possible be still interested in racing bikes after all this time. They truly don’t understand how I could not be bored and it could still be interesting after all these years.
Before needing to focus on Bromont now, I was in a quandary of what to do this week. If I didn’t have this chest cold thing going on, I would most likely have driven down to Austin and done the La Primavera Lago Vista. The weekend consists of a very hard circuit race that sometimes changes my fitness a whole level.
Feeling iffy, I would have just stayed here and done a local criterium and road race here in Lawrence and Perry Kansas. I can ride to both these races and end up with close to 100 miles each day, which is always welcome in March.
And last, the Handmade Bike Show is going on in Louisville, starting tomorrow. Kent Eriksen, and Katie, are showing there, of course, plus, the show is a candy store for anyone interested in bicycles. My friend Stacie lives there, so it would be such an no-brainer.
But, I’m driving up into the snow of the Northwoods. The Fat BIke Birkie is being held on Saturday. They closed the field a couple weeks ago at 750 riders. Compare that to the 18 starters in the Elite Men’s Nationals a couple weeks ago in Ogden, or the 4 women starters and it makes you wonder how USAC decided to promote its own Nationals and not just award the National Championships to this event? It is 47 km, going from Telemark to OO on the Birkie Trail and back North on The Classic Trail. Ned is heading up there today, so it will be nice seeing him.
Anyway, I could list a dozen other options of things I could do this weekend related to cycling. From just sitting on my ass to watch Strade Bianche on the internet, Saturday morning, to meeting up with a bunch of friends to ride trails off-road.
And this is only March. As the season gets rolling, the choices multiply . And this is just the physical stuff. Mentally, cycling is even more vast. If you’re bored with the sport mentally, then you have closed off your ability to absorb knowledge.
Losing interest is another story. I can understand losing interest or changing focus, but being bored with the sport, if you are a true cyclist, couldn’t possibly occur.
Anyway, cycling is going to be on the back burner for a while. I plan to spend as much time as I possibly can with Bromont.
nicely put.
Spend the time with Bromont and not with the bicycle. Make it quality time. Bromont’s time is limited and the bikes and cycling will always be there. Bicycle racing is truly a beautiful sport, but there is so much more to life. The problem is that racing demands so much time that it takes away from other facets of life. A dyed in the wool racer usually realizes this only after hanging up the racing wheels.
So, yeah, take the time to hang with your friend Bromont. You will realize later that this was the right thing to do. The cycling world will continue to revolve without Tilford and it will always welcome you back when you are ready. A person only has so many years on this earth and a dog has even less. Use them wisely.
When I got my current 12 year old cat (he was only 8 months old back then) I took off four days from both work and cycling so I could be there with him as he adjusted to his new surroundings (he was a shelter kitty). Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for our furry friends. I feel it is the right call.