A little bit of Lance Armstrong

I just finished re-reading Lance Armstrong’s autobiography, “It is not about the bike”. For those of you that do not know, Lance Armstrong is an American bicycle racer who has won the Tour De France a record 7 times. He has also battled testicular cancer and at one point was very close to death. On the flip side, he has also been accused of using anabolic steroids during his racing days. But this post is not about that.

His autobiography is a classic hero’s tale. He has spoken honestly about his transformation from a brash,  talented, cocky racer in his youth to a champion racer with respect for the sport. A large part of the book is also devoted to his fight against cancer and how it changed him as biker and a person. The book itself is very engrossing. A story of an athlete who could push the limits farther than anybody else. Do read it when you get the chance. When you read it, you will understand a little bit of what it takes to be an endurance athlete. The blood and sweat that go into the training and years and years of dedication and practice it requires.

However his greatest achievement has come after his wins at the Tour De France. Although steroid abuse taints his cycling achievements, absolutely nothing taints his efforts in the fight against cancer. His Armstrong Foundation has funded cancer research, helped cancer patients with resources and information and paid for health-care of cancer patients. It is widely acknowledged as one of the best run cancer institutes in the world. I have heard first hand from a couple of friends how their loved ones got incredible support and information from the Lance Armstrong foundation.

Armstrong is someone who has taken his gift for cycling and turned it into a means for fighting cancer. It might very well be a personal thing. He might never have done it if he himself did not get cancer. I do not care for the reasons, I care for the results. Lives of hundreds and thousands of cancer patients are better because he is doing something about it. And that is very cool thing to do. Live strong!

A little bit of good reading

I just started reading a book called “The Life of Pi” by Yann Martel. It has been 12 years since I stopped serious reading (barring the odd Harry Potter). I realized that a good book can be a very humbling experience. Over the years, I had developed an attitude where I thought I knew everything and had a good idea of good vs. bad, right vs. wrong and that futher philosophical/comtemplative reading was unnecessary. As is now clear, I was so wrong

Coming back to “The Life of Pi”. I always used to think that zoos are not the right environment for animals and should be maintained only for scientific and research purposes. The author however makes a very good point to the contrary.

The gist of his idea is that most liberal people (like me) confuse the idea of freedom when it comes to animals. Freedom means different things for animals and humans. What are important freedoms for human beings might not be so for animals. Animals think solely in terms of basic needs, territory, food, safety and sex. ALL of which they get at a decent zoo. And although I do not agree with everything the author said, I do get his point of view.

I found that reading definitely refines our thinking regardless of how smart and clear-headed we might be. 30 mins of a good book and I am already a wiser man.