Hope for Lance in El Paso

We ride, first and foremost, for the sheer pleasure of the act itself.  Moving speedily across the earth under our own power and with the smallest of effort.  Other purposes–commuting, racing, travelling etc–are merely after thoughts; well gee, I bet ya I could bring the groceries home on that thing or I bet ya I could beat you to that next signpost. Sometimes those goals, those afterthoughts, become all consuming and we take ourselves far away from where we started.

As I write these words, Lance Armstrong is confessing his guilt on national television to Oprah Winfrey and the world.  Many of you may be watching.  Lance is a man who chased those after-thoughts with such unhinged ferocity that cycling become irrelevant.  “It’s not about the bike” really means the act of cycling had become immaterial, a mere contrivance to glory.

Some may wonder what will happen after Lance confesses, after the saga is over.  Some hope Lance will have to repay all his winnings, some hope he fries in legal hell.  Others hope the UCI will be exposed for it’s complicity, while many simply hope positive change will result and that we all can just move on.

On Sunday, I will be racing the “toughest mountain-bike race in Texas”; The Puzzler, in El Paso, Texas.  This 50 mile mtb race is part of a larger endurance weekend that includes a marathon on Saturday with shorter running and riding events on both days.  I’ve been warned countless times that the trails are very rocky and the race is really tough.  To prepare, I’ve been tailoring my rides this week, culminating with Sunday’s race.  I’ve been setting goals and checking out past race times, including those of friends.  I’m getting my strategy down, working out the details.

In all this, I’m getting away from the bicycle, I’m loosing sight of what’s important.  And, although this may sound trite, having a good time really is the most important thing.  The racing, the training, the goals, the ego, those things are fine, nothing inherently wrong with any of that. [well, except for the ego thing]  But really, truly, I am going to El Paso not to race, not to compete, but to enjoy life as best as I know how; mountain-biking with my friends.  I’m just going to push myself harder than I might on most occasions.

One of the most sage pieces of advice I was ever given about endurance mountain-biking, was to “enjoy the fun parts.”  Well, MC, this Sunday I’m going to do exactly that, just  between gasping breaths and scary descents.

Will pro-cycling ever be the same after the Lance saga is put to rest?  Who knows.  What I do know is that after all is said and done, after the interviews, the lawsuits, the loss of glory, I truly hope Lance Armstrong once again finds his love for the bicycle.  I hope he gets out there and just rides, for no reason other than he’s a cyclist and cycling is wonderful.  This is my hope for Lance.

Profile for the 50 mile Puzzler

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3D map of 50 mile Puzzler course