As much as I'd like this AIDS/LifeCycle journey to be altruistic, I have to admit there are some unexpected benefits that go beyond the money raised for vital HIV/AIDS services.
And I'm going to be totally candid. One of the greatest benefits is the butt.
Seriously. I'm a butt & leg guy. Always have been. Boobs? Awesome! Six packs? Amazing! A gorgeous smile? My downfall. But muscular legs & butt? OMG, I'm in heaven!
So, yeah, the ride tested our limits. Helped us realize what we thought impossible. Connected us to a community of heroes. But it also offered a lot of distraction in the way of muscular legs & bubble butts. It's a side effect of what we do. Just think about my training for ALC - hundreds of thousands of rotations on the pedals. Each one working the gluteus maximus to maximus status. And forming the quadriceps to an exceptionally brilliant form. And that, my friends, makes for some seriously sweet eye candy.
Each day as I pull my jeans over my new thighs & buttocks, I'm reminded of the personal benefits I get from the ride. And they're more than external. My lung capacity has also increased. My resting heart rate and blood pressure has decreased. My body eliminates toxins more effectively than when I wasn't working out. My mind - oh my mind - I can't even describe the high one gets from the endorphins & sense of accomplishment achieved after a 50-mile ride.
And then there's the science of it all (sorry folks, I'm a bit of a science & numbers geek). By the age of 30, most men start losing muscle mass instead of gaining it. By 40, our bone density begins to diminish. Yes, we're aging but that doesn't mean we can't counterbalance nature by putting in some effort. I'll be the first to admit it's not easy. Getting on that bike 3-4 times a week is tough. Pulling on those resistance bands a few hours each month is far from exciting. And stretching it all out afterwards - well, I could write a whole entry on the pain of foam rolling. But, in the end, it's all worth it. It's mostly mind over matter. But I also somehow get through it all by recognizing those moments where I think, "Gee, the thighs of my jeans are damn tight." Or, "My bum seems to be getting really muscular." Yes, we pay a price - like the hardcore tan lines we acquire. But that is a small price to pay for the health benefits we get along the way.Yes, we AIDS/LifeCycle riders are participating in the ride, and raising monies, to save lives. But one of the things we often forget is that in doing this, we're also extending our own lives. Most of the effects we don't see - the heart rate, blood pressure or bone density. And some we do see - like the weight loss, strength improvement or increased endurance. Then there are the the benefits we see when we slide into that spandex. The meaty thighs. The shapely butt. The trimmer waist. And if sometimes that's what it takes to keep us motivated to save the world, then so be it.
And, if all else fails, we can always focus on the crotch shots in lycra we see for the week on the ride (but that's a whole other blog entry!).
Okay... I think every single one of us who rides ALC can say we want to be selfless in supporting the cause. But it's impossible. Because through our dedication to the event, we get an added bonus. We raise the bar for our own healthcare. We acquire physical benefits - seen & unseen - that we weren't even thinking about. We do good for others while at the same time doing good for ourselves. And that, my friends, is a damn fine picture to paint.
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| (I still have the skinniest legs in this photo... argh!) |
