Being in the zone when I’m on my bike is a thrilling experience. I am a road cyclist and I love to ride my bike around Brighton and in the mountains. When I ride it feels like every problem in my life is left behind. When I get the chance to ride my bicycle I will be gone for hours riding around town. I feel so good when I get the chance, in between my school life and my home life, to care for myself and feel good about what I’m doing. I have a stressful life so having an outlet that can refocus my goals and bring clarity to my life is a necessity. I love it when I can push myself to get better and better in order to improve my endurance and speed. I always look forward to the weekends where I have given myself time in my schedule to go out and make sure that I enjoy my sport. It is not just riding the bike, washing and taking care of the bike is also important. Making sure to keep the bike in pristine condition is very important. A dirty bike deteriorates faster and can restrict the performance output, and taking care of my bike helps me take care of myself. Before I began riding, I didn’t have a real way to deal with stress, but since I’ve been riding, I have learned to manage my stress. I have an outlet to just be me. When I go out on longer rides my sense of time is thrown out the window (or off the bike). It is just my bike, myself, and the environment that I'm in and that is the beauty of riding a bike. To me, it really is about how much I want to improve and how strong that desire is to improve. I want to improve my endurance and speed and the only way I can do that is if I put in the effort that I want back. I don't think I would be as happy and be able to handle the stress if I didn’t ride my bike. It makes me a better person, and I know that this is just the beginning of my journey. The experience has just begun, and I am excited where it will lead me.