It's simple really; I just need to ride and write about what is important to me. Hopefully, I'll be out on the bike again soon!
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| Turner's Sunset on the River, 1805 |
I've been wrestling with what to post for the new year. 2019 turned out to be a difficult period for both my cycling and my health... I was terribly ill with the flu for all of January and the better part of February. Then at the end of May, I was hit by a car. I was brusied and battered (see: Dislocated Finger Event) and it took several months for me heal. Frustratingly, this too was followed by the onset of yet another month long bout with the flu in October.
My distances and the overall number of rides I made can attest to these difficulties I experienced in 2019. (Plus, look at the number of posts I made to this blog!) However, during this time something else began to float about in my thinking which stalled much of my efforts to write; I simply lost my motivation.
To see the extent of my poor efforts take a look at this write up I made on my 2019 Year in Review. But to get the full impact of how my cycling fell off for the year, you can see the differences in these charts: 2019 Yearly Totals.
While laid up in my sickbed, I spent an enormous amount of time looking at videos and reading blogs by other cyclists. It all became a bit overwhelming and discouraging to an extent. I don't like the boasting and bravado from much of the online cycling community. I find them rather "preachy" mixed with a hefty dose of "look at me".
I've been struggling with how to express these feelings when I read this article: Turner and the Thames. It's not a terribly interesting article... some light artsy fluff good for a Sunday morning breeze, but at the conclusion of his piece, Will Gompertz adds; "... there's a lot to be said for quiet modesty in this overwrought, over-excited century."
And that simple statement struck a chord with me. I will carry the thought of "quiet modesty" as I move into 2020. Thank you Mr. Gompertz.
IN PRINT
Books - I've always been a big fan of David Byrne and the Talking Heads, so I was really excited when my wife bought me this book for Christmas. I'm just getting into it, but so far - it's a great read. David has a unique approach to cycling and especially interesting reason for writing about cycling. I highly recommend.
Books - I ran across this title from the Dawes Heritage Facebook group and I've only read bits and pieces, but it seems like an addicting read. I'm pretty excited about it, actually. I suspect this one is going to be great!
And that's all for now. I'll head back to bed, it's time to read.
Cheers! - cm
