Shana Lydon: It’s the journey (Comments: 1)

Jason’s note: Please welcome our newest guest contributor, Shana Lydon. And next time you’re down at Full Moon Vista, tell ‘em you heard about it on RocBike.com!

My name is Shana Lydon and as Jason said, he contacted me after seeing my face on the cover of HER magazine last week. I have to admit, it’s definitely weird having my face out there like that, but in the name of cycling, the embarrassment is definitely worth it. Now if I could just get my parents to stop showing it to perfect strangers, I’d be thrilled.

For those of you who haven’t been cornered by my magazine-wielding parents, a little info about myself. I’m relatively new to cycling. I took it up about 2 years ago and can’t believe I’ve been missing out on the fun! Since then, I’ve learned a great deal about riding, bicycles, racing and life in general. One of my favorite statements is something Scott Page, the owner of Full Moon Vista Bike & Sport, says on a regular basis. He reminds us often that we must never forget how lucky we are to be able to go out and ride bikes. It’s a truly wonderful experience that we should never take for granted. Whether it’s just an easy ride on a Sunday evening with friends or a training race with the women of GVCC, I try to keep that in mind. I admit to forgetting that sometimes — especially when the rest of my life begins to take its toll. Often though, even when day-to-day life makes me crazy, it takes only a few blocks for me to be able to exhale and enjoy the freedom of riding. I lead a Monday night ride recovery from the shop and I’ve struggled in recent weeks to keep it interesting. It’s difficult to find a new route each week. I am so grateful to the faithful bunch who keep coming back each week! They put up with me repeating routes and taking wrong turns. I have a horrible sense of direction so we do a lot of u-turns. But exploring the city and surrounding suburbs is so different by bike. I’ve lived here all of my life and didn’t learn how to navigate the city for real until I started riding! It’s that sort of randomness that makes riding so much fun.

I think the saying goes that it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And that’s what riding is all about for me. I look forward to every ride and I’m momentarily sad as each one comes to an end. I’ve met people I would have never met. I’ve done things I never thought I’d do. I’ve accomplished more than I thought I was capable of and my life has changed immensely. All because I ride a bike. I don’t want this to come across as too pretentious, because that is not my intent. What I’m trying to express is that cycling is much more than just about pedaling down the road. The journey I’ve been on has changed my life for the better. And I wish the same for everyone else. I encourage you to break out of your comfort zone — ride with people who are faster than you, they’ll help you push yourself. Take a different route, you’ll find a place you’ve never seen before. And do something that scares you a little. Be smart, but push your limits a little bit each time. You’ll change yourself for the better, I promise.

Rocbike.com is a really cool site and I’m happy to be part of the group! Lots of great information and interesting opinions — thanks for taking the time to listen to mine!

Hope to see you out there on the road, path, trail or at the shop sometime soon!