""You have power over your mind-not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." Marcus Aurelius wrote that 2,000 years ago. But every cyclist knows the truth of it. You can't control the wind turning against you 20 miles into a ride. You can't control the heat radiating off Texas asphalt, or the flat tire five minutes from nowhere. But you can control your reaction. You can keep pedaling."
"One time, riding into Hondo, Texas, during the height of the 2020 pandemic, I was overheated and desperate for a break. I rolled up to a McDonald's dreaming of cold air and salty fries, only to be told I couldn't come inside. Pandemic policy. I sat on the curb in the shade, eating with sweat dripping off my chin. It was humbling. Frustrating. But in that moment, I remembered: this wasn't a disaster. It was just a moment. And moments pass."
""We suffer more often in imagination than in reality." - Seneca On a long ride, your mind tries to psych you out. "You'll never make it." "You should've stayed home." But after the first 10 miles, then 20, then 40, those voices fade. They're just mental static. The reality is usually less dramatic than the fear. The Stoic Way = The Cycling Way Accept discomfort. It's part of growth."
Long rides strip thoughts to essentials and turn discomfort into a teacher while fostering solitude and clarity. Stoic principles—recognizing power over one's mind, accepting what cannot be changed, and responding with discipline—align with cycling practice. External conditions like wind, heat, or mechanical failures are uncontrollable; reactions and steady effort remain controllable. A pandemic-era ride into Hondo, Texas, illustrates humility and perspective when plans are thwarted. Imagined suffering often exceeds real hardship; persistent pedaling diminishes anxious voices. Embracing discomfort supports growth, maintaining perspective converts setbacks into manageable moments, and discipline sustains progress.
Read at Theoldguybicycleblog
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