Doing it.

July 27, 2010 · by · in Uncategorized

If you hadn’t noticed, I am obsessed with cycling. And call me what you will, I will do it anywhere, anytime, with almost anyone.

I will even do it in the pouring rain if necessary. It’s fantastically dirty and the cleanup is hell, but well worth it if you can handle the mess.

I get my kicks from watching other people do it on TV, although on basic cable there really isn’t much to watch and what’s there is pretty tame, so I think you need one of those “special channels” to really get some quality stuff.

I love doing it in a group, although doing it solo can be pretty satisfying sometimes too if you’re in the right mood and have the right music on. Doing it in small groups is nice, you really get to know people when you take turns being beside them in rotation.

Doing it for a long time is hard and requires considerable stamina. This needs to be built up with a good amount of training, which, thankfully, is also quite enjoyable. If you are doing it for an extended period of time, say, 3 hours or more, you have to make sure to stay hydrated and stop once and a while for a snack. If you’d rather not stop, all of this can be accomplished in the course of doing it, you just have to be careful not to drop anything or spill. After an epic session, you can expect some discomfort “down there”, but rest assured it won’t last, and with a few more sessions under your belt you will toughen up and get used to it. In the meantime, be sure to switch up your position at regular intervals.

Most people would agree that doing it outside is by far the most enjoyable. Nothing beats the feeling of wind in your face and sun on your backside. However, in the long cold winter months, we are forced indoors and retreat to our basements to suffer though agonizingly poor facsimiles of the real thing. I skulk into my dark basement, surrounded by dirty laundry, smelly hockey bags and the litter box. There, I dig through my hidden box of videos which will inspire and distract me during my own private Sufferfest. I do it with either Chris Carmichael or Coach Troy, alternating back and forth between the two to keep it interesting.

However, if one is able to do it indoors with others, it can be quite pleasant. Things can get pretty steamy, and it really smells up the house, but it’s all in good fun provided everyone brings their own floor towel to soak up the inevitable puddle of sweat. All the better if you can enjoy a great meal and a couple of drinks afterwards to celebrate surviving another indoor session without dying of boredom.

So do it easy or hard, fast or slow, inside or outside. Just do it.