Where do you get your inspiration?

Inspiration is something that comes in different forms for everyone. For me, I am just a competitive person who strives to be the best at everything I do. That makes some parts of training easier, like pushing yourself during workouts, but being an athlete takes more than just being competitive. As an athlete you have to have an appreciation for exercise, fitness, and the human body. I find this inspiration from my family.

My sister is a massage therapist and a wellness director for the YMCA, that's a lot of appreciation for exercise and the human body. My parents are also an inspiration to me. This morning they suited up in orange safety vests and headed off to work via bicycle. Nashville is not Portland, not even close, so packing everything into a messenger bag and committing to riding a bike to work is a courageous endeavor. My father has biked or run to work for my entire life. The thought of him regularly commuting by car is something completely foreign to me. After 30 years or riding/running solo, he finally has my mom along for company, which is pretty inspirational.

This is a picture of the free public bicycles available in Paris. The first 30 minutes are free and there is a minimal hourly charge after that. Imagine that, free bikes for everyone to use, maintained by the city, and redistributed every night. It just makes too much sense.