For me, cycling is my passion, it is my defining catalyst, it has become who I am and it has become something I am married to. I feel that the focus and discipline I have attained through my devotion to the sport has enabled me to become a better person in several different facets of life. However, I did not always have this focus.
The Fat Finkelstein!
Believe it or not, this 180lb 6’4” body was at one time (during the demise of my college years) 260lbs of gelatinous funk! I was 19 years old, attending college at Western Michigan University, and had a complete lack of focus. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life or what I wanted to focus my studies on. I was wandering and floating through life. Truthfully, it was very difficult for me to conceptualize anything further than a few months in advance. Fortunately, after much wasted time and money, I was able to come to a peaceful conclusion that I wanted to become an educator. However, although I thought I knew what this concept meant at the time, I really didn’t. I always knew I had the capacity to teach, but reluctantly fought it as I felt I was supposed to follow in the engineering footsteps already laid by the other Finkel males. I can honestly say, the change started to take place in me when I decided to become a teacher.
The Long-Haired Fat Finkelstein
Around this pivotal time for me, I met an individual who became a major source of inspiration and motivation. I was getting to the age where I was starting to reevaluate relationships and phase out the negative ones, and simply invite in only the positives. This person helped shape who I have become today and the way I think. I started to reconsider certain priorities and consider how I can change my lifestyle for the better. I turned to my dusty 1996 Gary Fisher Joshua sitting in the closet of my apartment which had served for sometime as more of a Seinfeld-like prop than a tool for recreation.
I had mountain biked before, but was always a weekend warrior at best. I started riding at Fort Custer a few times a week. As time passed, I purchased a newer mountain bike (a KHS Alite 4000 Team Issue). The new equipment served as great motivation to get out there and ride farther and faster. At first, my goal was to simply finish a loop at Fort Custer without stopping and without falling over on any climbs. When I achieved this, my goal was to finish in under an hour…it quickly turned to under 50 minutes, then under 40 minutes. As cliché as it sounds, when Lance Armstrong’s first book came out I read it and was blown away. I was following the 2001 tour during my read and was inspired to progress as a rider. I remember riding the Kal-Haven Trail in its entirety one day. It was by far the longest ride I had ever attempted (about 67 miles round trip). I remember finishing this ride exhausted but reveling in the assumed thought that this must be the farthest anyone had ever ridden a mountain bike! As I got more fit I started to notice something other than my pants fitting much bigger on me, I started to realize I was attaining more focus in all aspects of life. My grade point average was rising, my waistline was shrinking, and for the first time in my life, I was beginning to think about long-term goals.
I eventually graduated college with a degree in Elementary Education. However, the passionate obsessive side of me took over; as my involvement in cycling flourished, I started working in various bike shops and reading and researching as much as I could get my hands on about the topic. I should have been making it my full time job to be looking for employment in the teaching field, but I didn’t care…I was flying. There were some frustrations and difficulties I was going through at this time but the bike seemed to alleviate any stress, anxiety, anger, or depression I underwent. The faster and longer I rode, the better I felt. I discovered cycletherapy; I was addicted!
Racing was a natural bi-product of all this riding. But this is not a story about racing.
Me after taking second in my first cyclocross race.
After working two years straight at the same shop, I realized I couldn’t live the romanticized dream forever. I needed to either find a teaching job or start furthering my education. I decided to do both at once. So I went back to school for my masters and began substitute teaching. After a year or so of subbing, I got a position with the school district I am currently employed. After working the entire school year, they told me I didn’t have to come back to work for three months. I thought to myself, “So I have three months of no work, they are still going to pay me, and I can ride my bike everyday uninterrupted?” It was at this time that I came to the distinct realization that I had made the right career choice and I have never looked back since.
During my first win in the expert MTB category
My Dad and I at the start of the first ever Tour De Leelenau. My parents have become big cycling fans and are proud of who I've become.
I’ve shared the cliff notes of my story because I am so thankful for my involvement in this sport that I am so passionate about. I have met so many great people that I consider my closest friends through it and have even got to travel a bit to ride my bike. Whether you are a musician, runner, cyclist, snowboarder, kickball champion, etc., passion and focus can drive people to reach for new heights and betterment of themselves. It is a form of meditation, it is a way to become personally centered and understand your place.
I WOULD LOVE IT IF ANYONE WHO READS THIS WOULD COMMENT ABOUT HIS OR HER STORY OF HOW YOU HAVE GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW. You can leave as long of a comment as you want, feel free to be long-winded. I want to hear your stories!!!
