I was scrolling through my personal Facebook timeline this morning, when I came across an extremely happy looking picture of a little girl. The caption read…
What bicycling feels like…every single time!
I am not normally a sucker for social meme’s as I think they have gotten a little out of control (about 12 cycling related ones hit my timeline a day and that doesn’t even include the other themes), but this one really made me smile.
As much as some of us (me included) try to look tough on the bike, this is exactly what I feel like every time I am turning the cranks. While the outside looks serious and ready to tackle any obstacle, hill or downhill in my way, the inside is really just going WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Life is short…you can’t take it too seriously
There are very few things in life that give us that same sensation every time we partake in the activity. Cycling has always been one of them for me and it fills a direct need to remember what it is like to have fun and not to take life so seriously. When I have adequate saddle time, the little things in life seem to roll off easier and stress is better managed. I got my fun release that lets me restart for the day and focus on what is important.
During times of a lot of space between riding, I find myself getting too sensitive over the little things with my tolerances to getting angry and frustrated getting smaller. One day out on the bike…and those seem to get put back in check as got my fix.
Keeping us young both at heart and physically
Part of cycling also allows me to stay young at heart. You see older people all around you that get…well…old. There are even some younger people that get old too quickly purely because of inactivity.
I have watched cycling create 80 year old active kids. Something about it (including the health benefits) keeps your mind and body young much like the girl in the picture. I truly believe that cycling is the fountain of youth in modern day society. It keeps you active and keeps you having fun in your life. It reminds you how it feels to not have a care in the world and how to get excited about having fun.
To make things even better, the sport of cycling surrounds you with people who want to do the same thing.
How does cycling make you feel?