Before I began this blog, I would spend what free time I had, and I should admit, a good portion of my discretionary income on cycling. I’d bike 100 or so miles per week and log in in over 6000 miles a year. I was a little competitive also and did my share of races and other cycling events. Then as life often goes, I got caught up in writing this blog, and as you’ve already guessed, my two addictions now compete ruthlessly with each other for their rightful share of mind and time. They say an unexamined life is not worth living, although an examined one is no piece of cake either. But nevertheless, let’s look briefly at the pros and cons of these two demanding obsessions.
If you were to ask what activity would qualify as the exact opposite of cycling, you wouldn’t get too much of an argument if you said writing. Writing a blog is sedentary, mostly ergonomically challenged, and definitely stress producing (the content monster is always very hungry). So it is basically an activity that, without restraint, will destroy any vestiges of health not already compromised by heredity or a Big Mac. On the other hand, it stimulates brain function (good for when you’re 105 years old), builds an appreciation of the views of others (sure, right), and, I might add, gives you something to do with your hands while drinking your third double espresso at Starbucks.
Cycling is really different than all that. The cyclist is a perpetual motion machine, sitting on a seat no bigger than a twinkie, and dressed in clothes that a Las Vegas stripper would find obscene. There is stress, of course, although a good ride usually burns that right out of one’s entire consciousness — if not consciousness itself. But you are healthy right? Well, that is, unless you get introduced to one of the 10,000 opportunities you will find on the open road to kill yourself. Blogging is not injury-free mind you, but it centers around either your wrists or your pride, which ever one caves in first to repetitive assaults.
Both activities, in addition, have the downside of you spending hours doing chores because your wife has smartly figured out how to leverage the guilt factor inherent in the time you’ve wasted on all this stuff. (I know this only from what other people have told me, Babe.)
Many of those in a similar situations say that balance is the key. Don’t go to the dark side of either one. Each is an abyss that could swallow any and all effort you throw into it. That’s great advice which I am usually inclined to ignore. However, while balance is important — really important in cycling — it does tend a little to lead to mediocrity in many other circumstances. Anyhow, I thought up this whole blog post while I was riding bike. So I’ll struggle with it a bit more and let each obsession take (or add) their required pound of flesh. Right now, I got to get the bike ready since I need to figure out tomorrow’s post. Aloha.
