As 2008 draws to a close, I've been looking back at the past year and what a journey I've had in these short 12 months.
Reflections on 2008 (click on the links to see more details)
* it's been a year since I gave up my desk job at the UK Department for Environment to focus entirely on Spinning and associated activities. I don't regret for a single moment that decision;
* I spent a month in India, which recharged me and gave me more motivation to come back and ride, indoors and out;
* I was hit by a car, fracturing my scapula, derailing my preparations for the Marmotte, as I was unable to ride an outdoor bike until the event itself;
* the injury didn't prevent me from attending and riding a weekend of indoor cycling with the Schwinn team in Hemsby, where I discovered my own inner strength in tackling adversity head-on;
* I tackled the Marmotte and finished it, unlike 3000 other riders. An achievement in itself, especially given the circumstances and lack of training;
* I was made to leave a class at a gym that, quite frankly, was and is being run into the ground by its manager...
* ...and immediately afterwards was offered a class by another gym for that same slot, plus another morning class, to help spread out attendance (I had a roll of two months where I was giving up my bike, so long was the waiting list);
* I was asked by Jennifer Sage to do some research on routes in Languedoc for her cycle tour company, also hooking up with her to lead group tours in Italy and France, coinciding with the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France;
* I landed some unexpected translation work for Mad Dogg Athletics (they who own and run Spinning), which was enjoyable and useful;
* I was approached by Andrew Clayton to teach a whole bunch of Spinning classes from next year at his Spinning-only facility in Putney, where the UK Master Instructors will also be teaching (I'll now be a small fish in the big pond!)
* I rode the Croix de Fer and the Galibier the weekend before they were closed off by the snow drifts... it's surreal riding in the snow-covered Alps and painful riding the sub-zero descents!
* I attended the ECA convention in Miami, ostensibly to check out Johnny G's (inventor of Spinning) latest innovation, the Krankcycle, and it was truly eye-opening - not just for Kranking but also applied to Spinning and life in general. Thank you Johnny, if only for that insight into myself;
* in Miami I also attended the Spinning rides, meeting Josh Taylor and Scott Schlesinger in the process, both of whom reminded me of what Spinning used to be and should still be. Simple, enjoyable, effective, empowering
* I didn't know who Josh and Scott were, so I was probably the least star-struck rider in the room... and so was the only one who didn't have his camera! Now I know, I can see they fully deserve the credit apportioned to them;
* after attending Scott and Josh's DJ Ride, it inspired me to get to grips with my digital mixer and I found it extremely easy to master. I used to be a DJ, so mixing comes naturally, but I was always a hands-on type of guy;
* I was so inspired by the professionalism at the ECA event that I signed up for the convention in New York next February. But more of that in my next post!
See you in 2009 - have a fun night, whatever you're doing!
4 comments:
Dude,you have a tremendously powerful shadow,cast it well :-)
I will see you in 2009. I loved reading your journey through 2008.
Wow! What an awesome life! I started up cycling last April after not being on a bike for about 25 years. I started out with a Trek Soho 4.0 Platinum and 3 weeks later owned a 2008 Bianchi C2C 928 Carbon Veloce Compact. In Sept I was hit by a taxi while group riding and fractured my scapula. I've been in PT since. The 928 Veloce is now affixed to my Cycleops trainer. Three days before Christmas I was fitted for my 2009 Bianchi C2C 928 Carbon Monocoque Centaur 10sp-mix Compact. (And I wrote that all in one breath!) Great bike, but will be greater when I can ride it, targeting April, but hope it's sooner. I signed up for the 'Tour de Cure', for diabetes, June 6, doing 67 miles, riding for Gold's Gym. I'll look for more entries in your blog. Happy 2009!
Thank you Rick, Shannon and Tom - I find it illuminating to write down what happened to me last year, it's a trick I picked up in Japan about how old baggage can be off-loaded while using the experiences to move forward into the new year. Sounds too simple but it really does work - the events are irrelevant, what you learn from them is not.
Rick - knowing the meaning, I am humbled... and hope to remain so!
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