The Happy Cyclist

I tried. I really did. But after much thought, and though I feel like a complete failure, I've gotta do it. I've got to give up the running. I never enjoyed starting out for a run; I never enjoyed running three or four miles; I never felt like I just couldn't wait for my next run. So as of right now, the old tennis shoes, which haven't even been on my feet for the past month or longer, will only be on my feet for leisure purposes. Though it makes me sad to admit this, I have to to clear the path in front of me: my heart just cannot give itself to putting one foot in front of the other, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Whew! I feel so much better now. Trying to be something I'm not, and trying to force myself to become something my whole body rebels against just by the very thought of it, ate away at me for a long, long time. I kept at it, thinking I would find the key to happy running. After all, so many people seem to have found the key and are extremely happy runners. I thought I, too, could find that key. I read books about running, magazines about running, and blogs about running by those who love to run. I tried different kinds of shoes and no shoes. I worked on my form and my breathing. The happy running key, though, remained hidden. I thought maybe stepping away from the running might make me miss it, and all the sudden one day I would feel the urge to put on the shoes and go run. I never missed it. The urge to run never filled me.

But I'm okay with not finding the happy running key because I found something else--happy cycling. My every thought about cycling is happy: getting up early for a ride, getting dressed, filling my water bottles, starting out, each pedal stroke, each mile that slips by. Everything about cycling fills me with contentment. I am not a runner. I am a cyclist.

Comments

Earlier in life I enjoyed running, but it took its toll on my knees and ankles and eventually wasn't fun anymore. Possibly I was doing it wrong. Cycling seems to be a lot more forgiving, though, and much lower impact.

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