I Ride with Gratitude

Gratitude didn’t arrive for me in some grand epiphany at the top of a mountain pass. It snuck in quietly over the years. Every time my 66‑year‑old legs warm up on Zwift, or when a shaft of sunlight breaks through the trees on a gravel ride through the bosque, I realize: I still get to do this. 

Cycling has become my daily gratitude practice, both outside on real roads and inside on the roads of Zwift. Every ride gives me fresh reasons to say “thank you”.

I’m grateful for the legs that propel me up hills, for lungs that still remember how to deepen a breath, for the view from the top that makes the climb feel earned rather than endured.

Cycling has become my daily gratitude practice, both outside on real roads and inside on the roads of Zwift. Every ride gives me fresh reasons to say “thank you”.

Gratitude isn’t about speed; it’s about presence. I notice the tiny things—a lone coyote crouching in the nearby brush, amber eyes tracing my path, or the way the colors of the leaves in the bosque change with each season, as if telling a story. These are the details that keep me honest about aging: not fading, just changing, and still worth the effort.

I’m grateful for the OWLs who show up every Saturday eager to take on the Grey Zone Trivia Ride I’ve whipped up for them that week, and for the warm, growing community that has blossomed from those shared moments.

And I will forever be grateful for meeting my Team OWL teammates face-to-face after racing with them virtually for five years. Meeting and racing TTT with them IRL last November at Zwift HQ in Long Beach was such a special experience—a true gift!

Gratitude isn’t a destination; it’s a practice that travels with me every mile. Some days I wake and doubt my strength—and my relevance in a sport that is dominated by youth. And then I remember: I’m still here, still able to ride, and still capable of sharing what I’ve learned from my many years of experience. The road curtsies to age, yes, but it still accepts my proof-of-life—my rhythmic cadence, my steady breath, my unshakable gratitude.

So I pedal. I ride for the years I’ve earned and the years I hope to earn. I ride to honor the body that carries me, to honor the sport that teaches me daily who I am—and who I want to be. And I ride with gratitude for every uphill, every descent, every quiet moment of a long ride, where the mind clears and the heart thanks the journey.

I ride for the years I’ve earned and the years I hope to earn. I ride to honor the body that carries me, to honor the sport that teaches me daily who I am—and who I want to be.

I ride with gratitude. Whether it’s the wind on my face or the pixelated summit on my screen, each pedal stroke is a tiny thank you—for health, for community, and for the simple freedom to keep moving forward.

Cycling has given me stories, resilience, tiny rituals that anchor my days, and a steadying reminder: growth doesn’t stop with age; it simply finds new routes.

No matter where you are in the world or if you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, every day is a perfect opportunity to practice gratitude.

#GRATITUDE