Throughout my teen years and into the beginning of my twenties, I lived a sedentary life. I also really love food (which is why I cook in a restaurant). It doesn’t take much to figure out that the combination of those two factors wasn’t good for my health. My energy levels plummeted and even completing a regular shift at work left me drained. I didn’t have the motivation to accomplish much outside of work, all I really felt like doing was sitting around and watching my favorite cooking shows.
But then I started biking to work. Not all the time, but once or twice a week. Although it was fun and it felt good to be out in the fresh air, those ten miles to or from work seemed endless. But as many of you have experienced in your own lives, biking can be rather addictive. Three years ago, I started biking to work whenever I could.
And then my definition of “whenever I could” started changing. First I bought lights so I could commute by bike even in the dark. I began to ride my bike as transportation to other places as well. And I started to go on short morning rides just for fun.
Biking became a passion for me and I decided that I was going to try to biking through the winter. I had no clue what I was in for. Waking up an hour earlier to get to work on time, piling on layers of warm clothes, heading out into subzero weather, trudging slowly through deep snow – it took a measure of determination. It was also the most amazing experience of my life. It made me love winter with a surprising fierceness and cemented my desire to live without a car. Winter taught me how thrilling it is to explore the world and push myself to my physical and mental limits on a bike.
Once winter was over, I bought a road bike and began biking even more, over six hundred miles a month, just for the joy of it. That girl who just a few years ago struggled with low energy is gone. I am constantly surprised by how much I am able to do.
This Monday, for the second Monday in a row, I woke up at 3:30 am for my regular morning shift at the restaurant.
I biked 10 miles to work.
I worked on my feet for 10 hours.
I biked 10 miles back home.
*Interlude of one hour to shower and take care of my dogs
I biked 10 miles to an ice cream shop.
I met up with four other cyclists and rode 15 miles.
I biked 10 miles home.
Thirty minutes later, I was in bed, my alarm set at 3:30, ready to wake me up for another day of work.
It is earth shattering to me that I actually have the physical and mental stamina to work all day and then go out and bike. To see myself slowly transform from a being sedentary couch potato to living an active life, amazes me. And all it took was some time and a bike.
Every day I get older, that is a simple biological truth. But try telling my body that because every day I feel younger, more energetic, more full of life. Biking has reversed the aging process, I feel like a young twenty-something with the energy to take on the world.
And that is exactly what I am.
Now you’re done with the easy part. The next 50 years will be your next challenge to stay the course. You fall off, then get back on, then fall off, then get back on. So long as you keep getting back on the bike that’s all that matters. Yahooo..what a ride!!
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Haha very true, but as long as they are not literal falls I will be okay π
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You are an inspiration. I love these posts. Everyone should read them.
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Thank you so much, Nick, you are very kind π
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I’m much younger than the calendar says I am too. I think many cyclists feel exactly what you’ve talked about here! I’m in better shape now than when I was your age! The biggest thing for me, though, is that cycling is just stinking fun!!
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Yup, when I read your posts I can hardly believe how far your legs take you! I bet you aren’t even twenty yet π
Cycling is stinking fun! Can you believe that we get to do something this fun every day? It is too good to be true sometimes.
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I never considered myself particularly sedentary – I think being slim misleads myself and others – but when I look back, I see now how I went from cycling in a year what I will now casually do in a month, even though I’ve always ridden a bike. I noticed how I let my fitness slip a little when I started driving a car, but I was in my early 20s so it was easy to bring that back on track – as we get older that will become less easy… it’s best to stay on track I think. The thing is, in some ways I still feel particularly sedentary – I can spend hours a day sitting in front of my computer, yet still put in a couple of hours on the bike and “get the miles in”… this is where motivation is important, and the inspirational people such as yourself π
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It is so rewarding to look back and see how far we have come!
It scares me a bit to think that in the future I could get off track and go back to being sedentary, now that I have experienced the benefits of living an active lifestyle I would realize what I would be missing out on. But there is a nice “buffer” between my current lifestyle and a sedentary one – I would have to buy a car first. And I really don’t wanna buy or drive a car!
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My car does less miles than my bike, so I guess I have a good buffer too π
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Your bike must tease it so!
“Haha, Brian took me out for another ride and you are just stuck here.”
Poor car π
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I do worry that the teasing will lead my car to rebel, but so far it just seems to enjoy its occasional outings π
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I’ve given my wife a hard time about this. I’ve owned my Waterford for over 10 years and even with the maintenance and all the parts I’ve had to replace, I’ve spent less on it in that time than she did just last year in gasoline!!!
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Bikes rule.
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Well done π I couldn’t agree more. Keep at it. I just turned 68 and feel better today than I did when I was 30.
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Watch out, you might live forever π
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π
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Awesome post, truly awesome.
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Thank you!
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Great post! Cycling has brought me a similar feeling. I’m not sure I’d call it “younger” but I’m certainly get fitter every year. I’m in better shape now at 38 than I have ever been in my whole life. I’m sure that trend won’t go on for my whole life, but I do know I’ll feel younger than I am and be fitter than many of my contemporaries for having found a sport I am passionate about.
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Doesn’t it feel sneaky sometimes? We have stumbled upon something that we love to do and it also keeps us healthy!
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I just turned 50 and biking and running my whole life has not only made me healthier, it has made me happier too. I always joke that if I didn’t ride and run, that I’d be on Prozac. Yea for physical and mental health through playing outside.
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Just ride and ride and ride and pretend any days off the bike never happened!
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Great advice π
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Reblogged this on I Love (A)Mystery!.
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I know in terms of my physique, I look younger than what I am. Not sure about my face but cycling does help smooth out some stresses. You are how old?
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I am 24 and now I actually have the energy to prove it π
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