Chasing the Dragon

It is part of human behavior to actively seek pleasurable sensations.  In fact, those with addictive personalities can become obsessed with the act of trying to match the euphoria of their greatest "high".   This situation can present itself in bike racing as well.  I do line up for races hoping to achieve a result that evokes a rewarding feeling that equals or transcends those that I have experienced in the past.  The problem is that you reach a ceiling at some point, and it becomes harder and harder to get "high".

So, once you win a race at a certain level, you have to accomplish something even greater the next time to get that same feeling.  I am envious of the days when I had some much more to accomplish, therefore getting "high" was so much easier.  Simply finishing with the group, or getting a nice result in my age group was very satisfying.  As success builds, competitive cyclists upgrade to aspire to a greater achievment.  Chasing the Dragon becomes futile at some point.

Well, I have sort of gotten to the point where I need to re-program my pleasure principles, to allow me an opportunity to derive more pleasure from the races I enter.  To this end, I have also decided to cultivate new sources of pleasure (i.e. my career, family, relationships, etc.).

Anyway, examining this concept is an attempt to process my experiences at the 2011 Bikes, Blues, & BBQ weekend in Clear Lake, Iowa.  I will post a report of the Pro 1,2 races which ended up being very well attended this year, after I get access to the photos and results.  In the meantime, off to enjoy some of life's simple pleasures.