Tom Zirbel's thoughts about his exit from pro bike racing:
“(W)hat am I truly after in this life? Asking myself this question today the answer was “to be extraordinary.” I want nothing to do with mediocrity. But on top of that (and what I’ve lost sight of in the last few years), I want to improve the world. Yes, I am a naïve, 30-something dreamer, but I want to help save the world … (but) cycling and racing so consume me that I have little time or energy for anything beyond myself … I’m ready to turn the page and start living a better, more fulfilling life. Whether or not bicycle racing is in that future is too foggy to tell. I hope you all can understand why I’ve chosen this road. It feels so good to be out of the holding pattern.”
Love him, hate him, believe him, don't believe him. Either way, this quote hits home.
I'm not sure what's more amusing, how self indulgent bike racers and other endurance athletes are (both pro and amateur), or how the vast majority of us lack the self awareness to even be conscious about how self focused our respective sport truly is.
But then again, it sure beats spending countless hours sitting on the couch watching nonsense on television, which is what I think most people do in their free time.
1 comment:
Agree with the assertion that most people spend their lives watching useless TV. However, I don't think becoming self-absorbed or obsessed with a pastime is unique to cycling. For example, I know of many hardcore flyfishers, archers, and fantasy baseball enthusiasts. I'm not criticzing, I actually admire their dedication and accomplishments. However, I personally like variety and tend to enjoy trying different things. On the downside I've never stuck with one hobby long enough to really become good at it. On the other hand, new activities are always fun.
Post a Comment