The journey we take biking outside always has a parallel pathway within.  Sometimes the biggest discoveries come through the toughest moments.  I remember moments of deep doubt during races when the race dictated a question I did not know the answer to.  You utilize the pressure to concentrate your efforts and find out what you can do.  Once in a great while you’ll get a revelation.  By definition you arrive there from a dark and mysterious place.  That is how it has to be.  Taking on a challenge helps us tap into a resource, a wild area within us, that was uncharted territory.  These kinds of discoveries can make us feel so alive.  There are also more mundane ways living with the bike makes an equally big difference. For ten years I lived without owning a car.  Paradoxically I found this liberating as I was continuously surprised at how much I could get done on my bike and walking.  More than I knew was possible.  It was the difficult circumstance that helped me discover my fuller potential.  I must admit even though I didn’t own a car for ten years I rented one whenever I wanted to take longer trips.  It’s this moderation and balance of living comfortably but also challenging myself that bicycling allows me to do.  This holiday season I’m grateful for what I’ve been able to do, and can hardly anticipate what my next adventures will be if I’m willing to forge ahead and try.  That is excitement and the insecurity of living freely.  Living by the bike certainly has helped bring out the heart in me.

Sandia foothills 365 trail