Squashing the voice in your head thatย tries to rob you of “the good feels”

Conquering Destructo Brain, one pedal stroke at a time.

Conquering Destructo Brain, one pedal stroke at a time. Photo: Cam Day.

Well, I had been off of the bike about two weeks until yesterday. In a word: skateboards.

Yep. I decided to start skateboarding, and the toll it took on my body was one I just couldnโ€™t pay. So, I found myself unable to do much of anything while I healed up.

This hiatus from moving about gave me way more time than I would have liked to ruminate on the state of my brain when I donโ€™t get to ride.

Somehow, regardless of the state of my able-bodiness, my brain does what I think all of our brains do: it turns into Destructoย Brain. This is the state of mind whereupon, even though you KNOW youโ€™ll feel better for exercising and getting out there, you brain tells you

โ€œAww.. cโ€™mon. donโ€™t get up early to ride! youโ€™ll feel better if you sleep in!โ€

or

โ€œPshtโ€ฆ you just worked a super long day! Donโ€™t worry about pedalling around! Just go home, have a beer and some cookies, and relax!โ€

Itโ€™s a sneaky little jerk of a brain, and I have never figured out why it remains so consistent and persistent in its effort to destroy our good intentions and our โ€œgood feelsโ€ so to speak.

The reality is, that regardless of if we go do a little or a lot, we inevitably feel better for it. Yet, somehow, this lesson has never really stuck where Destructo Brain is concerned. Itโ€™s a constant battle to win the war over that sneaky little voice telling us to lay low, and to not exert any unnecessary energy or effort towards our own well-being.

This time of year, it becomes particularly difficult to win the war against that little voice: the days are darker, the busy holiday season is upon us and we feel like hibernating. These are the days when getting out at all is a victory to celebrate.

Don’t beatย yourself up when Destructo Brain DOES win (or when you legitimately have things you need to do, and canโ€™t get out to ride) … instead, celebrate your victories โ€“ small or large โ€“ over that nasty little voice in your head.

A quick spin to clear out the fuzziness and let in some fresh air will (as you already know) do you a world of good, and you should be proud of doing it. Youโ€™ll be the victor over your own mind. Thatโ€™s a battle worth winning, for certain.


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โ€‹Fat Tire Tuesday columnist Sarah Hansingย has been slinging wrenches as a pro bike mechanic for 15 years (with the exception of a one year stint working for Trek Bicycles in Wisconsin.)ย Epicenter Cycling scooped her up as their lead mechanic and the shop’s crewย plans to โ€‹keep her forever. Sarah loves riding singletโ€‹rack, wrenchingย on bikes, and hanging out with her jerk-face but adorable cat Harlan. (Who is a jerk.)