Live Strong

There was a NIKE commercial a few years back that depicted Lance Armstrong training on his bike and encountering different people in very different situations and inspiring them all in some way to live strong. This was not his credo back then but the idea was the same. I had been away from training for a long time when the commercial was released and I cannot put into words how inspirational it was for me.

But I saw a very different commercial than the one I think NIKE intended. What I saw was the picture of dedication, of hardwork, and of commitiment to a cause. I saw someone who was completely devoted to his craft and was working diligently as the world went on around him. And this was exactly the kind of motivation and inspiration that I needed at that dark time in my life.

Here I am about 3 years and 15000 miles later. Saying that a lot has changed in my life is an understatement. And biking has been a major part of that. I watched the commercial again tonight on youtube. My eye is more trained now from hours spent on the bike and learning about equipment. So I noticed some minor things that detracted from the authenticity of the film. The water bottles on Lance's bike were these cheep walmart brand bottles that he almost certainly would never use. He wasn't sweeting when he was riding in the desert and I doubt he would ever ride those crappy wheels shown in the film, even on a training ride.

But the spirit of the commercial still resonated with me. I still got the same chills when the solitary guitar strummed to the opening shot of the ocean and the camera panning to Lance riding along the coast. Memories of the thoughts that I was having at the time all flooded back to me. Things seemed so hopeless then. So I got on my bike a rode away from it all. And seeing this commercial again has helped me understand just how far I have come.

Biking can be a constant companion in times when you need something to cling to. But it is not the only thing under the sun that can bring you out of hard times. If you are suffering and have lost your way, find something, anything, and make it your own. Become fully invested and dedicate your life to it. Set goals and work you ass off to achieve them. Richard Leider wrote "the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose." And creating that purpose is the first step on the path to happiness.