Finding Inspiration @ Le Tour de France
Other than the arts, where do you find your inspiration?
Rarely do my fanatical interests in cycling and the arts intersect. I love them both, and recognize that they’re not the likeliest of bedfellows; however, I find inspiration in both and am excited that they’re coming together in our upcoming FA triathlon extravaganza.
We all find inspiration in different places throughout the year to replenish our creative stores. One of the places where I find mine is on the roads of France each July during the Tour de France. Joining 15 million cycling spectators on a trek around France for a few weeks provides plenty of moments to inspire. Whether it’s the surrounding natural beauty, the warmth and hospitality of the people you meet, the delicious food and wine, or the athletes’ personal stories of overcoming obstacles en route to reaching the pinnacle of their field (LIVESTRONG anyone?).
As a spectator of the race, you have plenty of time to sit around, contemplate, and enjoy all of the above — snow-capped Alps one day with a group of Belgian artists (see photo), fields of lavender in Provence the next. Sitting in a vineyard in the Rhone River Valley or drinking pastis by an 11th century church chatting with the locals about their annual craft fair. My personal favorite this year — singing John Denver songs in French with about 20 of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, over a delicious dinner in the tiny village of Chevremont (I’ll remember that evening for the rest of my life).
Although the roads of New York and New Jersey are decidedly less romantic than those of France, it’s those moments that I recall when putting in the miles to train for our upcoming triathlon and that lead to further moments of inspiration.
If you’re able, I hope you’ll support the effort (see nifty widget below) and perhaps meet up on September 27th with the FA Tri Tiki Taskforce (a.k.a., our tailgating support group — more on that in future posts). I can’t promise inspiration or John Denver songs sung in French, but knowing the people planning the festivities, can assure you it will be a fun time.
Tags: triathlon
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