8 Ways My First Bike Trip Changed My Life

In May 2010, I was gifted a cycling vacation in Bordeaux, France. I had never been on a bike tour before, and my two sons were very young then, so fitness was not a priority for me. During the Bordeaux bike tour, I struggled to cover the distances on my bike every day. I was the youngest and most unfit among the group of riders on that tour.

Going on that bike trip in May 2010 changed my life forever. Not only did it inspire me to turn my lifestyle around and get more fit, it has had a domino effect on a variety of aspects of my life.

At the end of my Bordeaux bike tour, I was determined to turn my life around and get in better shape. I started to run soon after I got back home, and a year later I bought my first bike and started riding. I have been on a mission to stay fit ever since. I may go through a slump now and then when life gets busy, but fitness is one of my top priorities now. I run and bike with an awesome set of friends in my neighborhood. I try to compete whenever I have the time to train for events. My weekends and holidays are not the same anymore. My life now revolves around fitness.

Since my 2010 Bordeaux cycling vacation, I have participated in running and biking events in the south of India and completed a DuVine tour in Provence, including riding up Mt. Ventoux, an epic climb known by cyclists worldwide. I also competed in a triathlon in October 2014 and recently completed the Tour of Nilgiris—a bike tour in the south of India that covered a distance of 875 kilometers (544 miles) with a total elevation gain of over 12,000 meters (39,370 feet) in 7 days. I’ve gone farther and pushed harder than I ever imagined I could.

Food is an integral part of fitness. Nowadays, I am a lot more conscious of what I cook and put on the table for my family as well. I am always looking for healthier options to cook with and include more vegetables and fruits in our diet. A balanced diet is what I try to achieve for my family and myself. No meal is complete for us without a couple of servings of vegetables and fruits.

I swam a lot as a child. I used to train regularly and participate in competitions. But after I got busy with academics in high school, I didn’t get into a pool for almost a decade and a half. When I started to run and bike, I found myself back in a pool shortly afterwards. I learned to swim using the “Total Immersion” technique in order to do well in the triathlon. When the weather is nice, I swim frequently and include it in my fitness routine.

I am part of a local organization that works towards spreading awareness on cancer and providing financial assistance to cancer patients from underprivileged backgrounds. A lot of the work I do for them now revolves around spreading the message about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. In 2013, I was part of the team that conceptualized and executed the first major marathon in my city. The inaugural run witnessed over 8,000 runners participating for cancer awareness. In the Tour of Nilgiris, I rode as a charity rider for the cancer foundation to spread awareness on women’s cancers by distributing brochures with a list of symptoms in the rural areas along the route.

My sons are growing up watching their mother taking a healthy path in life. Getting fit has made me a better role model for my children and has helped me reconnect with them. My older son is already eager to tag along with me when I step out for a run or bike ride. I am sure that my younger son will follow suit in no time. We participate in running and biking events as a family. I am yet to run a full marathon, and my older son keeps pushing me to train for one. My promise to him is that I’ll train for one when he is old enough to run one so that we can train and participate together in a full marathon.

My view on life has changed completely after my DuVine bike trip. I am a lot more adventurous these days. I want to visit and explore new places on foot and by bike rather than by car or bus. My home country of India is a vast country, and I have barely scratched the surface. I discovered the Himalayas in 2013 when I signed my family up for a short trek. I went back to the Himalayas last year on an expedition to climb a summit of over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet). Although I have spent many weekends and holidays in different parts of the Nilgiris and the Western Ghats since my childhood, I was happy to explore it on a bike as part of the Tour of Nilgiris.

Since I am a stay-at-home, full-time mom, avenues for “me time” are very limited. These early morning runs and rides are what I look forward to for spending some quality “me time” for myself. I come back home rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. Sometimes I need to wake up at unearthly hours in order to step out and still be back in time to get breakfast ready for my boys. But I do not begrudge it; I just embrace it and am thankful for whatever time I get in the morning for myself.

What I had hoped for in May 2010 was good food, fine wine, and a scenic setting for a memorable holiday, but I received so much more. What I got in return cannot really be quantified. It set in motion a thirst and yearning for life, travel, cycling, adventure, and joy. And that, to me, is priceless.