“Why Do You Race Bicycles?”

So, the most common question I get from friends and co-workers is, “why do you ride your bike and train so much?” There are many answers I could give them, but there is only one REAL reason I spend countless hours in the winter doing Zone 4 and 5 intervals and pushing my body to its limit and beyond.

I could tell them that it’s because I find a sense of balance, in a sometimes hectic world, when I am riding on my bike and that I can suspend reality for just a few hours.

I could tell them that I just simply enjoy riding my bike and it’s something I have done for years that I love and have a passion for doing.

I could tell them that I just love having those really, really cool tan lines all cyclists get each season.

I could tell them that I enjoy spending countless hours shaving my legs each year. I don’t know if they may believe that however (insert sarcasm)

However, here is the true reason why I ride, train, and race my bike so much:




And This:





For me, it’s not about the individual praise that I may receive. It’s about the satisfaction and accomplishment I feel personally when the team does well and I can share in that feeling with my teammates, that I do this. Knowing that I have pushed myself as hard as I could for someone else, and that all my hard work and sacrifice means that someone else can feel that sense of accomplishment, means more to me than anything……