Cycling & Recovery: A perfect analogy.

Maybe I'm weird but I always look for life applications in the things that I enjoy doing.  If something is worth investing my time and energy in, there should be some take away that I can grow from or use to better myself.  Cycling is a big one for me.  I have biked for over 25 years, seen my share of ups and downs and learned a few lessons along the way.  First some cycling lingo so you won't be lost as you read.

Club Ride: An organized ride hosted by a bike club, usually 2-3 times a week.
Peloton:  The mass of riders that stay grouped together for the duration of the ride.
Break Away:  One or more riders who jump off the front of the peloton at a faster pace.
Sweep:  Stronger riders who move to the back to encourage weaker riders to finish.

Nothing is as exciting to a cyclist as the club ride.  The energy of a group of athletes setting out on a 30+ mile ride is intoxicating.  You can feel the adrenaline pumping even before you lock onto your bike.  The first few miles generally set the tone for the entire ride....are we gonna hammer (hit it hard from the start), are we gonna just spin (moderate pace, enjoying the experience) or are we gonna get into the ride and flex our muscles a little bit so as to try and impress.  The older I get the more I enjoy spinning but I can still flex my muscles when the mood strikes.

5 or 6 miles in, everyone has pretty much settled into a rhythm and the peloton moves enmass towards our next turn or hill.  Now generally, I could be happy moving as a group the entire ride and all finishing at roughly the same time, however...there are always a few who want to test the limits of the group and jump out front to break away from the group or try to up the speed of the group. Some of those brave riders are strong enough to pull away and leave the group behind, but most of the time they usually tire and settle back in with the group.  At or close to the end of the ride some of the stronger riders generally turn around and ride back to sweep up the weaker riders ensuring that no one is left out alone.  One of the greatest advantages to club rides is the encouragement we can give each other over the hills, on long straight aways or when we are not having a good day on the bike.

So...How does this translate into my recovery?  There are a lot of us in recovery.  We have a bond that transcends race, gender or religion.  In recovery, just like cycling, there is a group of people (club ride) with the same struggles, and we always try to push, encourage or help another addict to become stronger in their recovery.  Sometimes we feel strong and try to break away but usually we end up settling back in with the group (peloton) to help get us home.  There are some who can make it and stay sober without a support team but most need support of some kind.  And with a group, there are always some who may have weak periods in their sobriety.  There will always be stronger folks to ride back and sweep the weaker ones back in.

It is vital, especially for people new in recovery, to connect with a group of like minded people who share the same goal of living a happy and sober life.  On our own, the ride can appear impossible. Together we can climb any hill and cross any distance.

Ride on and stay sober!