Let me tell you why I ride.  I ride because I can.  Now, before you go thinking that’s just some arrogant, elite cyclist statement, let me explain.  First off, I am fortunate enough to have a bike.  (a really cool one with matching tires & all)  And really blessed that my job affords me the time to ride - alot.  But even more important, I am healthy enough to ride. 

Few years back, when I became sick, I was scared. I didn’t do alot of riding.  The weeks and weeks it took for my doctor to determine how sick I was, waiting for what seemed like forever to have the surgeries.  It didn’t leave me in a place where I woke up and said ‘Gee, I think I’ll ride my bike today!‘  After surgery, you can’t ride until you heal.  You think going into it that it won’t take that long to recover, but afterwards, wow, it takes it out of you.  Then you finally get to the point where the doctor tells you to start riding again. 

I was lucky, my oncologist is a cyclist.  He knew just how long to keep me off  the bike.  However, getting back to riding after that was hard.  And it wasn’t only physical.  I was overwhelmed with the feeling that my body had failed me.  And for seemingly no reason at all.  It upset me for a long time.  I just couldn’t get my mind around it.  The other thing was that I didn’t feel sick.  When you have a serious disease, you should feel like you have a serious disease, right?  I was sitting in my doctor’s office, he was telling me the cells he found were carcinoma, and my mind was yelling  ‘No, you don’t understand.  I can’t have cancer, I don’t even feel sick.  I’m training.’

From then on, every time I rode, it was as if I was trying to prove to myself that I wasn’t sick anymore.  I wasn’t showing off to other people, I was showing myself - that I was ok.  See, I can beat this guy up this climb, that means I’m well.  Hey, I finished 65 miles in under 5 hours, that means I’m ok.  Look, I can stay at the front of the pack for a good part of the ride, maybe I am better - for now.

So when you see me racing past you  (assuming I’m able to pass you), I’m not thinking ‘ha,ha, I’m faster than you’.  I’m thinking ‘hey this is great, this must mean I’m healthy’.  That’s why I love the hills so much.  Every pedal stroke up every incline is a reaffirmation that I am ok.  You have no idea how good it feels.  ‘I - am - strong - I - am - healthy - I - can - do - this!’  Another thing I feel very fortunate about is that I get to ride with such great people.  Being involved with this club has brought the most wonderful people into my life.  I enjoy all of you so much.  Thanks for riding with me.  Now, I wanna know - Why do you ride???