~Balance~

This is a term I don't know well.

Noun
Singular balance
Plural countable and uncountable; balances
balance (countable and uncountable; plural balances)
1A pair of scales.
2(uncountable) Equilibrium in movement.
3(uncountable) Support for both viewpoints, 4substances etc or neither; neutrality.
A list accounting for the debits on one side, and for the credits on the other.

Typically I am either totally on or totally off. Cycling is addictive, its like a drug. If you allow it to get a hold of you, it can run your life, own you, cause you to focus all of your attention to it.

So here is a test that is often used to help diagnose alcoholism:

The CAGE Test One of the oldest and most popular screening tools for alcohol abuse is the CAGE test, which is a short, four-question test that diagnoses alcohol problems over a lifetime.

C - Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
A- Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
G - Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
E - Eye opener: Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

Because denial usually accompanies alcohol abuse problems, the CAGE test, like most alcohol screening tests, asks questions about problems associated with drinking rather than the amount of alcohol consumed. Two "yes" answers to the CAGE test indicates problems with alcohol.

Now if we replace Drinking with Cycling where do I stand.

C - Have you ever felt you should cut down on your cycling? - YES

A- Have people annoyed you by criticizing your cycling? - YES

G - Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your cycling? - YES

E - Eye opener: Have you ever had a recovery ride first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of soreness? - YES

I could have answered no to all of these, but then I wouldn't be honest with you or myself when I said there isn't a problem.

So now what? Identify what is truly important? Get back to doing this for fun? Its time for a reality check.

Some my say, oh your burnt out, or you've cracked. We'll I'm not sure that's the case. I have a good live, and cycling is definitely a part of it, but how big of a part of it does it have to be? Is it starting to run my life? Am I making poor decisions in other areas of life when I focus all of my energy towards cycling? These are some of the questions I have been asking myself these past couple of days.

Conciousness, and Awareness are two key aspects of being.