The Cons of Being Pro

Ryan - thank you for your insight and honesty in communicating the cons of being a pro. I can relate to many of your observations as a very amateur MTB endurance rider but find them very useful in helping me be a better coach and father.
NSMB - thank you for promoting great articles like this one, the road biking and turning with a laser. Kudos!

yes yes!… time worth reading: nsmb [HTML_REMOVED][HTML_REMOVED] pb

I think happiness can only come from within - if you try and find happiness in your reflection on others (what they think, respect, beating them at sport), then you'll always end up unhappy. There'll always be someone better at something than you, someone with a fancier car or a bigger house, or whatever. It's not the same as being happy with mediocrity and it doesn't mean you shouldn't strive to better yourself either. It's a hard thing to do and I'm struggling to teach it to my eldest daughter - perhaps in the end it's something she'll have to come to herself, like I did :)

TBH, most of the article screamed "if you want to be happy, don't be a competitive sports person", which I think would be a shame as there are so many people that get into sports from the example of others. But without competition, and the mental and physical wringer it puts athletes through, we wouldn't have those examples. It's a shame that there's not some middle way.

Not knowing how this piece would be received, I am moved by the open and heartfelt comments. Thanks Cam and Morgan for reposting this. the resonance with these topics, as I suspected, goes well beyond just pros, and I do hope these words serve as an orientation for direction. I'm excited to continue my work in this under acknowledged realm of challenge as a personal coach, and will definitely be seeing you on the trails!

Not knowing how this piece would be received, I am moved by the open and heartfelt comments. Thanks Cam and Morgan for reposting this. the resonance with these topics, as I suspected, goes well beyond just pros, and I do hope these words serve as an orientation for direction. I'm excited to continue my work in this under acknowledged realm of challenge as a personal coach, and will definitely be seeing you on the trails!

Hey Ryan,

I met you in Whistler some years back when you were setting up (??) for one of your shows, I think in front of the Garbanzo lift area of the WBP

found you really approachable and a real credit to the ranks of "pro riders"

unlike some other "pro" individuals I have met and ridden with, who will remain nameless

on a more positive aspect, another guy who was a super "pro" with a great attitude was Wade Simmons, had the pleasure of riding with him in the UK and its one of the highlights of my time riding bikes :)

best wishes for the future!

Hampstead, through my career, I've learned that meeting folks at shows can be one of the best parts of my job, glad you got a good vibe.

And PT-Colin, I credit my daily meditation practice (about 4 years now) to a lot of great things; one teacher (Sofia Diaz) told my class that the big secret to meditation is simply this: "Sit down and shut up"

the more people realize mtb is not serious business, and that it's all about trail riding, the more accessible/healthy the sport becomes.

QFT

Ryan, I think you're a really intelligent guy and a great roll model. That's much more than can be said for most pro riders and most people in general. However, I find it hard to sympathize with you on this.

You made a lot of money riding, and I am not saying "riding bikes" like it is fun all the time, it was definitely work for you. However, I think it is ridiculous to view it any differently than what anyone does for their career.
There is a high level of risk in making any kind of decent money, most people develop anxiety and depression of some sort, and life is hard! If we wanted it easy we would settle for less money and less glory.

You wanted to make it big, be in the spotlight, and rake in cash for a fairly lengthy career and now you might transition this to public speaking (you're an eloquent guy, go for it). But, don't be surprised if some older guys find it ridiculous to hear someone complaining about how hard it was for them when the cameras turned off and how depressed they got. Suck it up man, someone else is out there with a sore fucking back working hard for 10 hours every day trying to put food on the table so their kid can just afford to enjoy a trip the Whistler bike park. Maybe he should write an article about manning up?

Del, I welcomed your comment, thank you, a fair perspective.

As I said in the article, I wouldn't trade my career as a pro for anything; it was born out of a passion for riding bikes and a curiosity for what is possible on two wheels. I never did want to make it big, or be in the spotlight, or rake in cash….nor did I want to write this article as it was too much of a risk to my reputation (case in point!!).

However, I thought it would be useful to others to use myself as an example of getting honest with the inner experience; I believe getting honest with oneself, and I mean really honesty by sharing it with another, can be a strong trigger (and yet most commonly avoided because, well, it takes manning up in a whole different way) towards a more productive, happier, healthier lifestyle, whether pro or not. For me, as one example of freeing up some of these inner issues, I love riding bikes more now than I have in a long time, both in my pro duties and recreationally. Seeya!

Ryan, I think you're a really intelligent guy and a great roll model. That's much more than can be said for most pro riders and most people in general. However, I find it hard to sympathize with you on this.

You made a lot of money riding, and I am not saying "riding bikes" like it is fun all the time, it was definitely work for you. However, I think it is ridiculous to view it any differently than what anyone does for their career.
There is a high level of risk in making any kind of decent money, most people develop anxiety and depression of some sort, and life is hard! If we wanted it easy we would settle for less money and less glory.

You wanted to make it big, be in the spotlight, and rake in cash for a fairly lengthy career and now you might transition this to public speaking (you're an eloquent guy, go for it). But, don't be surprised if some older guys find it ridiculous to hear someone complaining about how hard it was for them when the cameras turned off and how depressed they got. Suck it up man, someone else is out there with a sore fucking back working hard for 10 hours every day trying to put food on the table so their kid can just afford to enjoy a trip the Whistler bike park. Maybe he should write an article about manning up?

Your comment doesn't hold up. With someone doing a 9-5, they aren't in the public spotlight, they don't have such a limited window to operate at their peak before they burn out or get too old to do their job any more. Making a career out of something you are passionate about is hard; on the one hand, you have a job that you love doing more than anything, but on the other, you have a job that is also your escape, and even on an off day, you have to perform to the demands of your sponsor/fans. You lose the escapism that could have drawn you in in the first place.
Even doing a regular day job, there are ways to advance, find your place and grow, but it takes commitment, effort and often sacrifice. There are many facets of Ryan's view that apply to anyone.

Del, I welcomed your comment, thank you, a fair perspective.

As I said in the article, I wouldn't trade my career as a pro for anything; it was born out of a passion for riding bikes and a curiosity for what is possible on two wheels. I never did want to make it big, or be in the spotlight, or rake in cash….nor did I want to write this article as it was too much of a risk to my reputation (case in point!!).

However, I thought it would be useful to others to use myself as an example of getting honest with the inner experience; I believe getting honest with oneself, and I mean really honesty by sharing it with another, can be a strong trigger (and yet most commonly avoided because, well, it takes manning up in a whole different way) towards a more productive, happier, healthier lifestyle, whether pro or not. For me, as one example of freeing up some of these inner issues, I love riding bikes more now than I have in a long time, both in my pro duties and recreationally. Seeya!

I really respect your reply Ryan, especially the bolded parts. In response to the other person's reply to mine, I still feel that being a professional cyclist shouldn't be viewed differently than other lines of high pressure/high responsibility work. I think no matter what there is a lot of soul-searching required to find that inner philosophy and approach the challenges with the most positive energy possible. Doing that reliably in order to be "on" when people expect it is really challenging. I get where you are coming from and it seems like a really positive and honest approach. Better than internalizing the fear or frustration or whatever else.

Thanks again for the reply!