Life Lessons Learned on my Bike

Smile. It helps.

Today I spent another handful of hours pedaling on Suzie Slice in pursuit of my Ironman dream. She and I have logged many hours (but not nearly enough, in my opinion), and I was thinking about how cycling is a perfect analogy for life - you suit up and try to navigate the road ahead the best you can while trying to avoid spills, wrecks and mechanical malfunctions. Here's what I've learned about life while powering myself mile after mile.

• To keep upright, you have to move forward.
• Don't panic. Panicking is how you end up on falling on your ass and bleeding everywhere.
• Always adjust to meet the challenge. You have many gears, use them all.
• Don't stop halfway up a hill because you're tired. You'll lose all the momentum you've gained in conquering the challenge and basically have to start over again.

Sunscreen, child, sunscreen

• With proper training and gear, any ride is pleasant. And in the unpleasant portions, just remember that this discomfort will make the next challenge easier.
• Save when you can. Belle the Bike was a $550 Craigslist find. Much like how I'd be hard-pressed to show you anything in my closet that I paid full price for.

Life is too short to be uncomfortable in cheap shorts

• But know when to spend. The $30 bike shorts will not do for 80 miles. My comfort is worth the $75 price tag of my shorts.
• Breathe. Hydrate. Wear sunscreen.
• A hill only looks bad from afar. When you're halfway through, it flattens out and you can see it for what it is - a temporary infliction of pain.
• Take care of what you've got. A good bike, properly maintained, has a nearly infinite shelf life.
• After every painful, stomach churning, leg burning hill, there's a few moments of elation as you scream down the hill. Every hill in life is the same - once you're over it, you can smile at the boost it's given you.