Tuesday, April 07, 2009

A Not-So-Brief Disruption

I have fallen off the wagon. The training-and-racing wagon mostly, but other wagons too. Obviously tumbled off the blog wagon a few weeks ago. "Wagon" ...that's a funny sounding word.

Bicycle racing is, for me anyway, part of a lifestyle that relishes healthy living, hard honest work, and both inward and outward competition. It's a symbolic thread spanning most of my life so far. My first race was 35 years ago, and I hope my last race is 35 years hence. It's also cyclical like many other things in life. Relationships, careers, hobbies,... they all wax and wane at times. Sometimes because passions and interests fade, other times because of demands on your time.

Below is a chart of the approximate number of races I've done in each of the last 35 years.



Some pretty big swings in there. I never raced in college, although I took a year off to see if I could "make it" as a bike racer. I could not ...or did not. I also had some down years when work and family were more pressing. Family is always a higher priority, but sometimes it's possible to devote yourself to both. My kids spent lots of time in feed zones, and when they were young they actually enjoyed it! I don't think that a career is always a higher priority, at least not in the broader sense of balancing it with a healthy active life. Financial responsibility is one thing, but to sacrifice your health and happiness to a career is a huge mistake in my opinion.

All that is a long way of saying that 2009 is shaping up to be a down year for bike racing. Living in half our house while it gets remodeled will be a huge disruption. Further, I hope to offset some expense by doing a portion of the work myself, and that will necessarily be on the weekends so I don't interfere with the professionals. I'm also trying to work more (as in, earning more) and my productivity is not very high after a hard three-hour training ride. My goal for the year is to get eight races so I don't get fired from my team!

Which brings me to this blog... I will continue to write occasionally but please be warned that it will be infrequent and that the bike-racing content will be less. (I say that because my impression is that most readers are from the cycling community.) Maybe I'll try using Facebook more, since it's a speedier way to keep in touch and spew out some scribbles and pics. Here, I'll continue to post the random musings related to gardening, particularly since my tract-house yard is slouching toward becoming a farm, which I find pretty amusing personally. I'll also post about our remodel. As I've said before, I believe there's a real benefit to sharing info and lessons-learned about the process.

So tune in occasionally if you wish. Or not. I really appreciate everyone who has been reading along for the last couple years. It's been a pleasure to write for you. Thanks.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cycling, as great as it is, shouldn't be a priority. Stick w/ your home projects and especially the garden. The future holds many questions when it comes to the availability of quality food. Self-sustainment and small community bonding will be VERY important sooner than you think!

Marco Fanelli said...

Anony-

Thanks for the comment. I agree with you about food. 1,500 miles is a long way for the average meal meal to travel. A lot of us could be waaay more eco-friendly if we just grew some food ourselves and took more care to eat local. I'm trying my best to walk the walk.

Strengthening the bonds in our local communities would be wonderful for everyone, whether or not the world is collapsing around us. I personally don't think it is, at least not in any apocalyptic sense, but if we all don't make some smarter choices, the best days could be behind us. I am encouraged that more and more people are recognizing the problems and making changes in their lives.

Next year? 50 races babay!!!

Anonymous said...

Marco-

I was thinking about you, your family, and Chris Walker with the news. Hope you are all well.

Brett C

Marco Fanelli said...

Thanks Brett. I appreciate the kind thoughts. Chris and I live a couple blocks apart, and our side of town was pretty far from the threatened area. Well, we're about two miles from the mandatory evacuation zone. As a San Diegan, you know what this is like I'm sure. Mark

Anonymous said...

MARCO,

THIS MADNESS HAS GOT TO STOP. YOU MUST RESUME THE BLOG STARTING NOW.

Anonymous said...

I agree! I miss your musings, but I completely understand the need for a break from doing it. Hope your garden is growing well. Ours is! :)