We often read about people taking a month off from drinking, for a number of reasons. Perhaps to lose weight, or gain clarity, or most often, “I’ve been going at it too hard.” Well, what happens when that month turns to two, then three, and doesn’t stop at six? A while back, I was dealing with depression, stressed out, gaining weight, increasingly cynical and argumentative. Drinking had become a daily habit, usually beginning after a ride, or after growing tired of sitting at my desk working. The day to day grind had been complicated with a new form of cyclical behavior; ride bikes to get over the hangover, not just for enjoyment.
When you’re riding to get over a hangover, you’ll find that you don’t really enjoy riding bikes anymore. Or at least that’s how I was feeling. Every ride was a struggle, both mentally and physically. I felt drained, exhausted and would get angry at myself for “letting myself go.” In reality, I was in great physical shape, my body was just mad at me for poisoning it.
Then I went to a doctor for my semi-regular physical and got some bad news.
