How great it is to have cycling friends. There are many who are content to be alone and I have to admit on occasion it is nice to just get out by myself and spin on a country road. I spend a lot of time training during the week alone so I have no problem with that, but what I am grateful for as I start to look ahead for the 2010 season is the opportunity to spend time training for events with some of my cycling buddies.
I would not dare to list names because there are so many that I enjoy being out with on the road. There are some who I feel are integral to the group ride. Those who I miss when they are off doing other things and there are those who I seldom speak with during the entire ride, but just seeing their faces at the start brings a smile to my face. One thing that I have learned as I have trained for events like 3 State 3 Mountain and other events is that it is not just about the event itself and overcoming the goal that it set, but it is the journey getting there that creates the memories. One can reflect on the amount of hours spent cycling with each other as you go toward a common goal and sometimes one can be there as support as another trains for a specific goal. You are there in the rain at times or the cold. You endure the elements and the geography together over the span of weeks. You are there for each other during hardships of mechanical breakdowns, injury recovery, or fitness buildup.
Another joy is sitting in a pack of friends who without a word form a chemistry that takes little speech or guidance. You ride at fast speeds with tires nearly touching and without much of a word or just a slight hand gesture you move in and out of the pack without a hitch. I have been so fortunate the past few seasons to be part of such groups. Sometimes we can have 40 or more in our group and some days it may be just a couple, but it is a joy to share time together training for a common goal or just cycling out on the open road. It is not such a selfish goal, though we all want to have personal improvements, there is a joy when sitting in the pack and seeing someone else having an exceptional day. There were many days last season that I struggled and felt frustration, but there was also joy looking ahead and seeing someone up front having a great day. We collect at the end of the ride; put away our gear and bikes and group together in the parking area again before leaving to reflect on the ride. There is usually someone who gets the praise for being the strong rider of the day and there is sometimes consolation to the one who had a rough day, but there at the end is a quick reflection of the ride, the route and the group.
The days have been cold lately and I have been recovering from an illness, but I am starting to look forward to the day our group gets back together for the first time in this New Year. Once again I have 3 State 3 Mountain as my first training goal and I think there will be others who will be there training with me for the same goal or just there to enjoy cycling in the group. Either way there is a pleasure knowing that this group enjoys being together and enjoys time out on the road. So it is not the goal itself that is my focus. It is the journey getting there with my friends as I look forward to the 2010 season.
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