9/11 and Cycling as a Source of Healing

Not but a couple days ago on 9/11 was the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on American soil. As I ponder the Darryl Worley song, 'Have You Forgotten', I'm filled with the memory of sitting in my first-period marketing class of my high school senior year, watching the planes crash into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a desolate field in Pennsylvania. Remembering the 3,000 civilians who lost their lives that day and the 3,500 lost in the anti-terrorism wars I find my thoughts migrating away from the simple reality of death to the complex relationships left behind between the newly-deceased and others. You see, everybody whether conscious or not has a relationship with death--I lost my brother who embodied life and health at too young of age--and as such everybody must also have a personal relationship with healing.

Not only is the simple element of time a source of healing, but people may also seek healing through other mediums--religion, support groups, therapy, drugs, inspirational literature, a diary, etc. In my opinion one of the most powerful sources of healing that is often overlooked is physical activity.

Throughout my graduate studies at CSU I helped the Cancer Prevention Laboratory investigate the relationship between physical activity and breast cancer prevention, so as I absorbed myself into the literature on physical activity I frequently crossed the topic of physical activity and mental health. I must disclose I'm not an expert on mental health, but I do know that at the fundamental level, moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity releases endorphins, which are endogenous opioid polypeptides producing analgesia and a sense of well-being. Since pain is a product of loss and mourning, wouldn't it be wonderful to heal the pain with a healthy dose of endorphins? I think, YES!

There are many types of activities one may choose to help heal, but I'm biased towards cycling. Not only is one able to accomplish the necessary amount of exercise required to obtain an endorphin high, but also the activity is much easier on the body. Instead of being weak and deteriorated later in life principally because of degraded joints as a byproduct of other activities, cycling provides a lifetime of enjoyment and permits one to achieve their physical activity goals indefinitely. Based on personal experience, every time I clip into my BMC Pro Machine (thanks to Ciclismo and the Cycologist) all stress is lost, all pain is lost, and even if the outside world hasn't changed, stimulated in my mind is that wonderful endorphin high making my internal world a heck of a lot brighter.

My hope is you, as reader, find the same sense of enlightenment on the bike, and if you're struggling to find direction, I've found wonderful support with both the Athletic Improvement Center and Colorado Premier Training.

Happy pedaling,

Phillip Mann