I have maybe two car lengths or less to merge to the left. Probably less since the mirrors used to always warn us that objects are closer than they appear. Maybe modern mirrors have less of a parallax error baked in, but either way it’s time to go or keep sitting there waiting for an invitation I will never get. My stepfather, when he was teaching me how to drive (aggressively to my mother’s dismay), used to always say at moments like this, “What are you waiting for? A party invitation?” I release the clutch, hit the accelerator with authority and keep it revving as the car bounds forward. I do not leave my pursuer in the dust* but quickly get some space between us.
* This seems a bit tacky and cliché, not to mention that there are a zillion dbags in assorted flashy vehicles purposely trying to draw attention with fart pipes and other nonsense. This is a club I do not wish to join.
I am not a car guy nor am I a maniacal adrenaline junkie but it’s moments like this that drive me (pun-intended). They are the spark that makes what could be mundane (a commute to work or to the store) exciting. These exist all over, everywhere, for everyone, these impacts that drive us. I will take a few minutes to discuss a few more of mine, but first some music that has impacted me of late.
Music: Negative Blast: Destroy Myself for Fun I spoke of the joys of Negative Blast not terribly long ago as I came across their discography via the first track released for this album. While their previous output is fantastic (and you should get all of it, dammit!) their new one some how cranks the levers down harder adding fun elements of melody and even dance-ability to their mordant hardcore fury. Often the opening track on an album lets the listener know what they are in for and Fireplay here spells it out in Arial Bold all caps. Searing hardcore riffage meets roaring vocals with a pounding rhythm that makes you wanna do the Twizzle while throwing Dio-fingers. The production on Echo Planet was great, but this is more polished, louder and has a pointier attack. Easily one of the best releases for me in 2025.
Redundant news flash! Music is a big driver for me. I listen to music every day in some form or another with everything I do. I have multiple DJs I subscribe on YouTube that I queue up throughout the day at work through the operatory monitor speakers whilst doing procedures. These are mostly downtempo or lo-fi house mixes. It keeps me cruising along and I am often moving to the rhythm if I’ve a free moment when my assistant is doing something they need me out of the way for. On rides I employ Shokz Bone conduction headphones mostly at mid-point volume and listen to mixes of assorted punk and metal chaos from my library. Certain songs (see “Fireplay” above) immediately make me crank harder, and I endeavor to ascend faster and/or send jumps/drops deeper. Hearing these flips a switch and I just go. This is true even if I’m feeling tired, annoyed by something or whatever. As with my car experiences just hearing the right song can take a ride I’ve completed countless times up to an entirely different level.
There are other things on rides that can have this effect as well. I spoke previously about my appreciation for the antithesis of the Flow State. Those moments when you push things to the point of failure, crashing, yet pull through whatever tumult you find yourself in. These are a huge impact driver for me. I actively seek them out and when I make some hairy move (two-wheel drifts are a favorite) I do my own little internal happy dance and crank it up again.
In a similar way competition can be a driver. It obviously is a huge one worldwide, but for me it’s not really about entering any legit races (although the drivers are certainly in these), but more so just little mini-invisible races. These are where you come across someone on a ride and see if you can either catch them or outrun them. This can occur amongst friends, but I prefer it be anonymous. I do not hassle others when doing this and in fact will be overly polite upon overtaking them, but it is again a strong motivator.
Other times ride motivators have almost nothing to do with the actual ride. A couple good examples are treats and critters. I began incorporating mid-ride espressos often with a cookie accompaniment recently and now find myself pushing hard to get to these rewards. I do want to feel like I earned it, so I become driven to go harder knowing a yum and more riding thereafter are ahead.
Critters are a big driver for me too. I’ve a bell on all my bikes. I originally got one when riding busy city trail systems and their connectors. This allows me to be pleasant about making myself known to walkers and runners. However, mostly I use it now to alert animals of my presence. I am thrilled when I see any non-human out in nature and in fact decided that it is good luck. I see tons of deer, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, snakes, vultures, hawks, owls, crows, groundhogs, and more. As such I ring my bell to greet them and again be pleasant about making myself known. This in turn gets me fired up too.
So, I ask, what is driving you? Who is your driver? What makes you push things? Cue the outro.
Mid-ride lunch has been my driver lately. Whether it road/off-road, road/gravel, loop or out and back, I’ve been putting a lot of effort into including a good lunch stop around halfway to recharge.
Awesome! I’ve always had mixed results with midday spins. They can be fun, but I often would get too schvitzed or not get back in time. Mostly, these days I take a walk at lunch around the neighbor behind my office. Not as exciting, but easier to manage and then get after it with a night ride or two during the week.