The Tour de France is far from a casual ride through the park. 198 riders lined up this year on the 4th of July to race just under 2,100 miles in 3 weeks. Out of those select 198 racers, only one will rise to the top and be crowned victor, wearing the coveted maillot jaune or yellow jersey for us English speakers.
What does it take to be one of the 198?
It is not uncommon for a professional cyclist to ride over 30,000 miles a year.
A short “recovery” ride will probably be 3 hours long.
They routinely reach speeds of 50 mph downhill and often time approach 40 mph at the finish line of a bunch sprint, on a flat road.
With a little effort, you could easily find many more facts that show the amount of time and dedication that it requires in order to be a professional cyclist and actually get to race in the Tour de France. And, as we’ve learned from recent history, there are no lasting shortcuts (cough, cough Lance Armstrong)
Every cyclist that has ever raced in the Tour had to work hard just to get there. Then it was a very grueling 3 weeks. It took a great deal of time, commitment and hard work.
Our health is similar. It takes a great deal of time, commitment and hard work. (Although I would say a whole bunch easier than being a professional cyclist.) I see people around town every day that have not made a commitment of time or worked very hard at all towards being healthy. I see the negative signs of ill health that motivate me to stay committed to my health.
The principles of good health are easy to follow, if a person is motivated enough to follow them. The fact is that there are consequences to our choices, whether good or bad.
What is your motivation level? What motivates you? In order to be healthy, you don’t have to be fit enough to ride in the Tour de France. However, it may just start with a casual ride through the park.