Cycling

It’s no secret I like riding bicycles.  Like most people I’ve spent a good chunk of my life with the ability to ride a bike.

As an Army Brat growing up in Melbourne / Sydney / Townsville / Canberra / Brisbane I mastered the tricycle, bicycle with training wheels, bicycle sans training wheels, BMX and finally a rigid frame mountain bike.

I rode my deadly-treadly to school, TAFE, UNI/work, work and finally for fitness.  In Darwin I commuted to work in the stifling heat, raced in Army triathlon events and even managed to get hit by a car on base.

I’ve always been able to strip a bike down to it’s bare bones and rebuild it without any mechanical issues.  Bikes aren’t that difficult to understand once you visualise what each component is designed to do.  It’s a machine that has been built for a purpose; over the years the parts and technology has changed but the end result is the same…You ride it!

So why Cycling?  Well anyone that has experienced stress and anxiety issues understands you need an outlet.  When I left the Army and moved interstate away from family I realised I was regressing.  My anxiety levels would peak and I was unable to calm myself down at times.  When this happens it’s not a pretty sight.  Insignificant and trivial matters become issues that explode with such ferocity house hold items will be broken.  The other side of the coin is the deep depressive episodes that also occur.  Shame is a by-product of either reaction which only heightens your sensitivity to the issue and causes you to withdraw.
Get to the point Chad!

The easiest way for me to control my anxiety and stress issues is to become obsessive with something.  It may sound stupid; but to know as much as possible about a particular subject with an intricate knowledge of certain aspects is a great help.  Fitness and exercise is an integral part of recovery for anxiety and depression, and combining that with a technical sport enables me to not only enjoy cycling; but to understand the methodology and technology behind it.

Cycling is an evolution.  It is the very epitome of life.
You get faster, you get stronger, you get better, you falter, you adapt, you recover, you are never alone!