Just like riding a bike
june 14, 2021 | WORDS BY gabe yanez
Before I found functional fitness, I was an avid triathlete that spent a lot of time training on the bicycle.
Recently, I’ve gone back to my endurance athlete roots and started to train for triathlons again, which means spending a lot of time on the bike . No phone. No computer. Just me, my bike, and the road.
The nice thing about being on the bike again is the freedom to just think, and recently it dawned on me that so much of what makes someone a strong cyclist can be applied to other areas in life.
Going downhill. This is when you have gravity and momentum on your side and you can effortlessly move fast down the course. This is a time to take calculated risks so that you can build as much speed and momentum going into the next climb. Life sometimes feels effortless too. Are you cruising during those times or taking calculated risks to make the most of the opportunity?
Going uphill. The grind. Your momentum slows, your legs burn, and you have to work your hardest to move slow. This is when it pays to be strong - mentally and physically. This is when it pays to only carry on you the necessities and leave behind anything else that may be weighing you down. Are you as prepared as you can be for when life starts to go uphill? Are you shedding any dead weight that will weigh you down and make those climbs tougher?
False Flats. When the road ahead is long and the incline so slight, that the road looks flat but it feels like you aren’t moving as fast as you should be. These can be as hard as a climb, but they are so much more frustrating because you just don’t notice that you’re climbing.
These can be the most defeating parts of a bike course because you are moving slow but you can’t understand why. You have to put your head down, grind through the discomfort and frustration, and know that the road is at the same incline for the entire field. The cyclist that breaks from the pack is the one that does not get frustrated and just keeps pushing.
Will you get frustrated and give up when you feel like you should be progressing more than you are?
Or will you lean on Effort Over Everything to get you through the false flats and closer to the finish line?
