Goals and aspirations vary for everyone. We live in a pretty fast paced world and there is a certain expectation that achievement and success can only be found in material wealth. Society dictates that without such signs of ‘success’, we may be non-starters; non-career focused people who aren’t trying to better themselves or get ahead. That may be overly pessimistic.
Eighteen months ago, I was lucky enough to be making new friends at a muddy week-long stage race. The pace was hard enough, and the conditions testing enough that friendships were worthwhile and valuable – and an enjoyable part of the whole experience. Upon introducing ourselves after the stage, my new friend remarked:
“So, isn’t it time you thought about getting a real job, finding a wife and settling down?”. He’s Dutch. He’s direct. And at the time I figured he probably had a point. Maybe I should think about getting a ‘real’ job, something fulltime with entitlements. Stay in a city long enough to ‘settle down’. I could still race. The two big cities I have lived in have terrific local scenes and events. But there is more to it than that.
For me, racing and travelling to race is my investment. There is a lot of time involved in planning and preparation – and more again in the time away from home, living out of a suitcase (or stage race duffel bag). However the returns are huge. You get improved health. Your understanding of other people and other countries increase. You may well learn how to order coffee in another language, when to drink what style, when to sit and when to stand.
One of the biggest gains is social. As mentioned in a previous blog, you meet new people. As mountain bikers we are all pretty similar. Receiving a lift to a race in England, both the driver and I were bemused by his wife’s caution that he should be wary of driving another mountain biker to a race who he hadn’t met before. We laughed it off:
“But we’re both mountain bikers! What could go wrong?”
And that is at the heart of it. My investment lets me meet new people in an exciting environment. It helps with various kinds of development, and it creates a great social network that is worldwide. There are couches I can and have slept on in a variety of countries. And the owners of said couches know there is one in Sydney when they need it.
So increasingly, I’m not fussed when other people are showing off their flash cars, new house keys, glamourous watch or classy yacht. I get to ride and race my mountain bike all over the place – off my own bat, but that creates independance. The rewards are limitless, and not effected by currency or the stock market. Mountain bike mates are mates for a long long time. And competing in the events that create these bonds is the best investment I can think of.