Obsession

I was IM'ing with a friend today and she made the comment "We're obsessed and sound like broken records!". I realized she's so right with this comment. "My name is Suzanne and I am addicted to my bicycle. It's been seven hours since I last rode my bike."

I'm not really sure how it happened. I started riding in July, 2001. It was innocent enough, a metric century in Texas for the holiday. I came home and bought a road bike. I began doing "Bicycle Fun Club" rides. I got clipless pedals. I upgraded my frame. At that point, I was probably averaging about 60 to 80 miles a week. I rode the MS150 in 2001 and 2002. I volunteered at a rest stop in 2003. I bought a trainer, but I remember wondering why people needed a sweat catcher or put a towel on the floor. It was never that intensive for me. And I even stopped for a while. I don't think it became an obsession until I started again. That was 2007. December 2008 brought my first race, a time trial, and a new frame. After that it was all over but the 12 step program.

I could downplay this and say that it's just a hobby. After all, there are some real enthusiasts out there that drive to car shows every weekend or have model railroads in their basement. But I would probably refer to them as fanatics, so . . .

I don't know if I should be worried. I think I'd more appropriately refer to my cycling obsession as a lifestyle. It's a healthy lifestyle. I exercise regularly and eat well so that I can perform better. I will admit that cyclocross and crits are a bit hazardous, but I'd argue the benefit outweighs the risk. However I do worry what others think of my passion. I usually have a bike on the rook of my car two to three days a week at work. We have no room in our garage because of the bikes, stand, tool box, wheels, Burley, and various other related items. My weekends are planned around a races that I have little to no chance of winning now that I've catted up.

I could stop, I think. I know I'll have to stop racing at some point, but I've already convinced myself that it will be on to triathlons. I think the endorphins my body produces from all this are way more addictive than any street drug I could take. I might ween myself off the bike, although I think I'd find something to replace it. Maybe it's physiological and I'm predisposed to having an addiction...think OCD. Maybe it's safer if I just keep riding and don't expose myself to something more elicit.