It's Not How Hard You Hit...

"Its not how hard you hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” That's was Rocky’s decree in the last of the fabled series. Admittedly, I'm a little behind for what’s considered in vogue within the movie viewing department, but as I was watching the film (from ‘06 I believe) for the first time while spinning away on the trainer last night, I got to thinking. “…keep moving forward” sounds like cycling to me. This movie was brilliant, not for the acting, but for its message. As a synopsis of the flick I would include the obvious themes of never giving up and fulfilling your dreams, but also embrace some more subtle undertones that for me are much more essential. Rocky had something “burning” inside him, a smoldering that in all essence defined his being. For him, the thrill of competition fueled his very existence, and without it his tank would empty. You’ve got to feed the beast inside, or it will die and take you with it. For me the beast takes the form of aluminum, steel, titanium, and carbon fiber. That consistent need to push the boundaries of what my fitness and sustainability can be, not to impress others, but to oppress my own need to feel fit and fast over a long ride. Bike racing and riding will hit you, sometimes hard, and you must overcome those blows relentlessly to keep moving. Its those blows, and how you compensate for them that keeps me continually training to get better. To be able to withstand a multitude of nocks and keep pedaling on keeps my beast happy and fulfilled. Sometimes the people I work with question me with dismay as to why I’d spend the hours I do spinning my wheels. Well from now, I’ll just tell them I’m feeding the beast!

So figure out what the beast inside you likes to eat and feed it regularly. Then repeat.