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And they're off
Jul. 5th, 2005 09:36 amThe Tour de France kicked off this weekend. Six years I could have told you that it was a bicycle race in France, and I think Greg LeMond might have won it once.
Five years ago I knew Lance Armstrong had won it the year before and was going for his second try. For one week of that Tour I was on a cycling trip in Maine, and at each place we stayed the innkeepers were kind enough to keep us posted on how he was doing.
Gradually I started following the news of the tour, and when our cable provider picked up the OLN channel in 2003, I began watching the nightly recaps and was hooked.
I'm not a competitive cyclist, nor will I ever be one. If I have any claim at all to athletic talent, it's the sheer stubborness that lets me keep on riding, regardless of weather, ignoring muscle cramps and aching knees. When things get bad I narrow down my focus to the three feet of road directly in front of my front tire and I conquer that distance again and again until I've reached the end of the day's route.
This is the real reason why I take the annual bike trip-- to prove to myself that I can push past my limits, not just once, but day after day. I'm not the strongest cyclist on the trip, nor the fastest, but I'll match anyone for stubborness.
This year, for the first time since 2000, the annual bike trip coincides with the Tour. I'll miss being able to watch the critical middle week of the Tour this year. But while watching the race is enjoyable, there's also something about being out there on the bike knowing that I'm pushing myself to my limits at the same time the racers are pushing themselves to their limits and beyond.
Five years ago I knew Lance Armstrong had won it the year before and was going for his second try. For one week of that Tour I was on a cycling trip in Maine, and at each place we stayed the innkeepers were kind enough to keep us posted on how he was doing.
Gradually I started following the news of the tour, and when our cable provider picked up the OLN channel in 2003, I began watching the nightly recaps and was hooked.
I'm not a competitive cyclist, nor will I ever be one. If I have any claim at all to athletic talent, it's the sheer stubborness that lets me keep on riding, regardless of weather, ignoring muscle cramps and aching knees. When things get bad I narrow down my focus to the three feet of road directly in front of my front tire and I conquer that distance again and again until I've reached the end of the day's route.
This is the real reason why I take the annual bike trip-- to prove to myself that I can push past my limits, not just once, but day after day. I'm not the strongest cyclist on the trip, nor the fastest, but I'll match anyone for stubborness.
This year, for the first time since 2000, the annual bike trip coincides with the Tour. I'll miss being able to watch the critical middle week of the Tour this year. But while watching the race is enjoyable, there's also something about being out there on the bike knowing that I'm pushing myself to my limits at the same time the racers are pushing themselves to their limits and beyond.
