Fellow inmates,
I am a long time member of this forum going back 15 years or so. I got into mountain biking in my early 30s and spent 10 years at it (well, hard at it as a hobby, not competition or anything serious). I rode motorcycles from when I was 10 years old, did some enduro's and such, so the transition to off-road mountain biking was natural. I helped start a website (The Texas Outdoors) and organize armature rides for the members, mostly in southern Texas. The membership was small, we had some great rides and camps, but interest dwindled, and I threw into the towel after a second weekend trip in a row ended up being me, myself and I. It might not sound big for some, but I was abut to ride 30 miles on off-road trails in a day back then...not fast or good...but get there. I even made some Youtube videos way back then.
A couple years back, I had one of those life altering events occur. You know, the kind that happen on a unassuming Tuesday afternoon and forever change your life drastically and unpredictably. I was somewhat homeless for a few weeks living out of my truck and then a trailer with all I owned, two mountain bikes, and a motorcycle. I stopped riding, stored the bikes and spent my time being self destructive as a coping mechanism. I put on 30lbs, hit my rock bottom, and the bikes gathered dust.
Life is great now, but here I am, overweight, out of shape, and missing the ride. I needed to make hard decisions on where to spend my time and money and what was important to my physical and mental health. There is not enough time and energy for everything I want to do and was spreading myself too thin. After considerable thought, I made the call. I sold my modified Jeep and my motorcycles to both streamline finances and move towards a more simple and focused life, a life committed to mountain biking, physical fitness and health. I am knocking on the door to 50 years old and health problems are often around the corner for those that are not in good physical condition. I have learned the value of mental health and how it can control one's life for the good or for the bad, and "rubbing some dirt on it" does not always do the trick. I relocated to a different town hours away.
Yesterday, I got the bikes out of storage, gave them a tune up, and started putting together my pack of trail gear. I was stoked to see my two Scott mountain bikes took very little to be tip top and ready to rock. With a search, I found a walking/biking trail close by and did a quick 30 minute recon. I was greeted with exactly what I like to ride on for weekday fitness building. I can lay down 15 miles 2-3 afternoons a week, and do a bigger trail ride Saturday mornings. I located what looks to be some promising mountain biking trails within a 15 minute drive or so.
I felt it in my soul that the decision to get back to the Passion was the right one. Now, time to shed the 30lbs and get back to it!
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I am a long time member of this forum going back 15 years or so. I got into mountain biking in my early 30s and spent 10 years at it (well, hard at it as a hobby, not competition or anything serious). I rode motorcycles from when I was 10 years old, did some enduro's and such, so the transition to off-road mountain biking was natural. I helped start a website (The Texas Outdoors) and organize armature rides for the members, mostly in southern Texas. The membership was small, we had some great rides and camps, but interest dwindled, and I threw into the towel after a second weekend trip in a row ended up being me, myself and I. It might not sound big for some, but I was abut to ride 30 miles on off-road trails in a day back then...not fast or good...but get there. I even made some Youtube videos way back then.
A couple years back, I had one of those life altering events occur. You know, the kind that happen on a unassuming Tuesday afternoon and forever change your life drastically and unpredictably. I was somewhat homeless for a few weeks living out of my truck and then a trailer with all I owned, two mountain bikes, and a motorcycle. I stopped riding, stored the bikes and spent my time being self destructive as a coping mechanism. I put on 30lbs, hit my rock bottom, and the bikes gathered dust.
Life is great now, but here I am, overweight, out of shape, and missing the ride. I needed to make hard decisions on where to spend my time and money and what was important to my physical and mental health. There is not enough time and energy for everything I want to do and was spreading myself too thin. After considerable thought, I made the call. I sold my modified Jeep and my motorcycles to both streamline finances and move towards a more simple and focused life, a life committed to mountain biking, physical fitness and health. I am knocking on the door to 50 years old and health problems are often around the corner for those that are not in good physical condition. I have learned the value of mental health and how it can control one's life for the good or for the bad, and "rubbing some dirt on it" does not always do the trick. I relocated to a different town hours away.
Yesterday, I got the bikes out of storage, gave them a tune up, and started putting together my pack of trail gear. I was stoked to see my two Scott mountain bikes took very little to be tip top and ready to rock. With a search, I found a walking/biking trail close by and did a quick 30 minute recon. I was greeted with exactly what I like to ride on for weekday fitness building. I can lay down 15 miles 2-3 afternoons a week, and do a bigger trail ride Saturday mornings. I located what looks to be some promising mountain biking trails within a 15 minute drive or so.
I felt it in my soul that the decision to get back to the Passion was the right one. Now, time to shed the 30lbs and get back to it!
