Jun 25 2009

Best Weekend Ever

Last weekend started off pretty average. I had a massive hangover despite how much I don’t want to drink alcohol any more. Go figure. It was an average night in the end, and I paid the price for it on Saturday.

Come Sunday though, the boys and I got together early in the morning and drove up to our local downhill track – Fox Creek. Fox Creek has multiple downhill trails, that you can “shuttle” with a car and a trailer. While I love my fitness, pushing a downhill bike up a hill is just too hard, and leaves you with no energy to barrel down it again.

We got around 12 runs in, and I had an absolute ball. While I’m well and truly rusty at doing jumps and drops at speed, it didn’t matter. I did what I felt comfortable doing (and from time to time what I wasn’t comfortable doing) and got such a rush all I wanted to do was hit it again and again!

About 3/4 through the day we took a break and I had time to think – “This is what I want from life!”. Every day we do such mundane tasks to pass the time, but getting a solid dose of adrenaline just removes all of the negativity in our life. Doing things that make us feel alive is what helps us to break the mold. I personally want to go to the grave knowing that I have truly enjoyed my time on earth. I’m not saying that it has to be to the “extreme”, but just doing things that you genuinely enjoy.

Everyone has their own hobbies that give them something. For me, riding makes me feel alive, and gives me a sense of freedom. Freedom is so important to me. When I’m barelling down a hill, I can choose my lines, hit one of the three jumps, and so on – freedom in a sense. Whatever you need from life – just do it.

For me, I live to ride, and ride to live.

May 11 2009

The best way to see the world!

I raced in a mountain biking event last Saturday. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m not that into the competitive side of the racing, but just go out as I feel some sort of obligation to do so.

About half way through the second lap I was really in the zone. While riding at “race pace”, I was still able to take in my surroundings and enjoy what I was doing. Every part of the track was beautiful. Some areas quite wet with beautiful scrub-land around it, other areas almost like forest, and other areas more open and rocky.

As I raced, I thought to myself “there really is no better way to see the world than on a bike”. It doesn’t matter if it’s a road bike, mountain bike, touring bike, geared, single-speed, whatever. If it has two wheels and somehow resembles the original bicycle, I can appreciate it.

Live to ride, ride to live!