Cycling Insyte

The real cycle you're working on is the cycle called yourself. - Robert M. Pirsig in the Zen Calendar (July 3, 2007)

Day Eight. Week Two. Yeeee Haw.

Sometimes (many times) Zen moments happen outside the context of sitting on my cushion. Take today. I was on my trainer (the miserable Oklahoma winter has forced me to log way too many bike miles around my living room, rather than in the streets or on the trail) pedaling away to a DVD featuring Lance Armstrong's coach (hey - a girl can dream!) After the required warm-up, the workout progresses to these very intense intervals, in which you are basically pedaling a cadence just this side of puking interspersed with a complete recovery interval (i.e. five minutes on and five minutes off). Following this maniacal sequence is a more moderate segment of the workout called "Steady State." The goal is to maintain a high, but not absurd, heart rate while alternating between different cadences and different gears (i.e. you switch between pedaling fast and easy on the legs to slower and more heavy on the legs). Speed stays pretty much the same, and the physical demands on the body remain constant throughout.

It occurred to me while pumping away at my Steady State (sounds more fun than it is!) that this section of my workout was a metaphor for living a Zen life. A regular practice of zazen is conducive to a feeling of centeredness, of steadiness, of constancy (not that I'm trying to attain anything.) The condition is not synonymous with boredom or tedium. On the contrary, a healthy steady state allows for a degree of expansion and constriction, ebb and flow, reap and sow. The Steady State segment of my workout is one of my favorites because the time passes quickly. I'm not exerting myself to the brink of sanity, and the frequent alternating of cadences and gears is stimulating and requires that I pay attention. I think that's a good way to live life. Zazen helps me feel like I exist from a solid place - like I emanate from a core. Participating in life with mindfulness makes things vivid and interesting while the practice of non-attachment contains experiences within reasonable boundaries. Perhaps that's what is meant by the "Middle Path." From a psychological standpoint, an understanding of Zen is like riding in a steady state on my bike. Life is varied but comprehensible. Vivid but manageable. Stimulating but contained.

The coolest thing about Steady State training is that there is a real conditioning benefit. I'm becoming a better cyclist. I challenge my body enough to get stronger, but don't over stress it so that it breaks down. Reminds me of climbing really difficult routes while on belay. The elation of success after surmounting a challenging climb is made possible by the security of the rope that prevents me from smashing to the canyon floor. I like climbing. And I don't mind being safely tethered while I do it.

Gassho,
CycleBuddhaDoc