Spending time with myself

Forget the pros. Their circus is so tiring to keep up with. I love the events, the locations and the atmosphere but their game is up. But I still love cycling. When I return from a 3 hour training ride I am so relaxed; might have something to do with my exhaustion. I feel so happy and clear.I ride mostly alone. It is hard with my schedule to even have friends much less training partners with whom I would have to make appointments. My most regular date is with my taxi driver who takes me to the airport. We see each other 2 times a week. THAT is pretty regular in my life.So, out on the rodes by myself leaves a lot of time to reflect on things, think about what I want to do next, how I want to approach the next challenge. Once the ride is over I am free to take on whatever is awaiting me. That is what I really like about the time on the bike. Sure, 3 hours by yourself is not everyone's thing. You gotta really like talking to yourself otherwise you will drive yourself nuts. It works for me.A few years ago while following the yearly pro cycling season I noticed I was only participating from my armchair. Now I am on the same saddle, the same position, the same wind in my face as them. So how to they get through the hours? I have a poster of Lance in my office where he talks of riding 6 hours a day. Wow, that is a lot of self therapy!Someone important to me reminded me to stop and smell the roses more often while in the "fast lane". It has taken me a while to learn to appreciate that suggestion but I spend as much time now doing just that.