Pragmatic cycling
In the Age-defying Athletes Project (ADAP), two individuals are cyclists pure and simple. Two others included cycling in their tri-athlon experiences, but this post focuses on the first two, Hans and Ruth.
Both Hans and Ruth adopted cycling for pragmatic reasons. Hans needed inexpensive transport when he took a new job 200 kilometers from his family home. And Ruth wanted to bicycle in order to build up her legs for Alpine hiking with her husband.
Ruth and, especially, Hans, came to enjoy cycling as a sport in itself. Yet the fact remains that their motivations were to address some problem, not the pursuit of sporting heights. In other words, they had practical reasons for becoming Age-defying Athletes.
Most ADAP sports, however, are played for non-pragmatic reasons. Certainly, people play tennis in order to stay fit, or hit the links for camaraderie. But it’s not as if any of such games are inherently “practical” in the sense that bicycling is.
Cycling, like walking, is versatile. Certainly, it is a mode of transportation. But bicycling also can be practiced in a competitive context, or be used to carry stuff from point A to point B.
Adoro il ciclismo
The Italians, like most Europeans, have elevated pragmatic cycling to a sophistication not typically enjoyed by people in the US.
This is especially the case in small towns - ancient places - with narrow streets and addressable distances.
Some photos from a recent visit illustrate the popularity of bicycling for everyday people – i.e., not Age-defying Athletes as we have come to know and love them.
If one must bicycle for practical purposes, weather cannot be an issue, as these photos demonstrate.
WIIFY?
The Italians – out of necessity, admittedly – have made cycling a habit. And habituation is necessary in order to regularly participate in a sport. Most Age-defying Athletes recognize this.
Do you? Have you made an athletic endeavor a habit? Consider just establishing a schedule for ____ [fill in the blank with your sport of choice, such as rowing or squash] every _____ [fill in the blank with the best day of the week].
Habituate and thrive!