For the Love of the Ride

Whether you are attracted to the fast windy descent down a tree lined mountain road or enjoy the challenging heart pounding climb to the top of a hill; cycling is about discovering the power, both in mind and body, between yourself and your bike. It is about-facing challenges, as much as it is about encouraging healthy social relationships. You do not have to be a professional cyclist to enjoy the benefits of biking. The low impact nature of cycling makes it acceptable for people of all abilities and age ranges. It is an exercise that gets you outside and can easily be incorporated into your life long term.

It is no surprise that The American League of Cyclists places Seattle on its top ten list of Bike Friendly cities in the US. The temperate climate and miles of bike paths make it a relatively easy and beautiful place to bike. Like any form of exercise, biking any distance requires a certain amount of time, dedication and practice.  Instead of my rendition of the benefits of biking, Ali Ritter, a local cyclist, shares with me her experience and why she loves the sport. In addition to being a Patent Attorney and Cycling Instructor, Ali is a sponsored cyclist and races for Hagens and Bermen.  She makes the time to train anywhere from 100 to 300 miles a week depending on the season. It sounds intense but her genuine love for cycling makes the commitment worthwhile.  Ali’s positive energy is contagious and the time she spends training is small in comparison to the physical and mental benefits she receives from her sport.

How many miles do you train a week? When I’m training for road race season, it’s anywhere between 150-300 miles a week.  For cyclocross, about 100-150, but at higher intensities.

Does commuting fill your training needs? It did when I was a beginning racer (category 4).  When I made the jump to the cat 3′s, there was a distinct jump in the need to train.  Commuting as training only works if you have a long enough commute and can be safe and disciplined enough to do intervals along the route.  You build a good mid-base, but you don’t get the endurance miles you’ll need for the longer races.  Commuting is great for cyclocross racers, probably why it’s my best discipline!

What drives you to keep going when your life is busy? The reliability of biking feeling good!  It doesn’t matter how bad my day’s been or how upset I feel, I simply cannot maintain that negativity when I’m on the bike.  If I’m in need of alone time, need to get away from all the inputs of a modern day, I can get on the bike and immediately be in a better, more focused place.  It’s almost like meditation for me, the single-mindedness of it.

The other main driver is that I have made some amazing friends in the cycling world, and I feel part of a giant community worldwide.  Some of the strongest women I know are cyclists, and they are all super busy and committed to this sport, and they support each other.  When I’m really down, they know, and they invite me to ride with them.  We bond and chat on the rides – doing something healthy and fun together makes for really strong friendships.  That kind of positive experience makes me more excited to get out than I would doing a solitary sport like running or swimming.

Why biking? What is your favorite thing about biking? How long have you been biking? Biking is the perfect sport in so many ways.  It’s pretty environmentally friendly, it can be done in almost all weather (around here, especially), it is low-impact on the joints, can be done throughout one’s life, allows one to share the joy of sports and fitness way beyond your high school team, brings people together across the world in a giant social community, is healthy, a stress-reliever, and helps you see the world you would normally drive by.  My favorite thing about biking is that I can go almost anywhere in the world, and someone will ask me all about what I’m doing.  In many cases, I’ll be invited home for dinner and a couch to sleep on.  There is this crazy community of cyclists that seems to span all generations and most nationalities.  Also, biking is really going somewhere.  You can get to the mountains here in Seattle by bike, far away from the city, in about an hour.

I’ve been biking as a commuter since 2002.  I gave up my cars and have been riding mountain bikes, road bikes, cyclocross, and now track ever since.

What do you do for work? I’m a patent attorney now, but I also teach spin, have worked in two bike shops, was a bike attorney for a while, and have taught basic bike handling and group riding skills to new and seasoned cyclists.

It’s funny, but when people ask me what I do, it’s not the attorney that comes to mind.  I’m a CYCLIST!