So I went down to Greenville yesterday for the Upper Winter Bike League ride, in hopes of better weather and some motivation to ride 4hrs. The weather was OK, but the ride was great, and I got to meet George Hincapie before heading out for a fast 84 miles. The ride was good, but uneventful as I tried to basically stay around top 20 and just treat it like a training race while catching up with some friends. There were 3 sprint zones and I just maintained my position, however during the last one George attacked and a few chased heading into the final sprint. I couldn't resist and as the final rider pulled off I took a hard 1 min pull, then flicked my elbow. All I heard was "I got nothin'". 1 rider had come along for the ride and halfway across the gap to George I was all by myself, only to be swept up going into the sprint. Oh well!
Last night was the ABRC party and it was quite inspirational to hear stories of riders who had achieved their dreams, won races, and awards and spoke of how cycling had changed their lives. One rider came up to me at the end and said what an inspiration it is to ride with my team and see us race. The funny thing is I was thinking how lucky this guy was to have the experiences he had and how that's what cycling's all about.
The point is I used to, and still do draw motivation by seeing what the pros do (like George riding away from everyone yesterday). However, now I know that cycling is about providing health, motivation, and balance to one's life. Motivation comes from different areas in cycling and I always love to hear individuals' stories about what it's done for them in their lives. Look around and see what a glorious sport we participate in, and how inspiration can come from even those that will never be professional but are out there everyday on their bikes.
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