Monthly Archive for March, 2009

Who are you?

Published on March 30, 2009 in Thoughts. 0 Comments

I’m Shaun Adamson.

I’m an introvert.  I’m realizing as I get older, with my responsibilties and privledges growing, I’m learning that I’m probably much more “type A” and less easy-going than I once thought.  I get stressed.  I need a lot of rest and time to myself.  I have no problem taking that rest though.

I try to follow Jesus.  I try to ride my bike really fast.  I like cycling, racing, bikes, and following all of that religiously, even to the point if my bike shop co-workers making fun of me.  I like food, cooking, coffee, beer, wine.  I like experimenting.  I’m definitely a snob.  I like learning and knowing things.

Do I need to change any of these things?  Can I?  If I don’t or can’t, am I becoming stagnant?  Am I pushing hard enough to learn and grow?  Am I staying inside of my naive little bubble?  Am I leaving my comfort zone and becoming a better, more well-rounded Shaun Adamson?

I’m pretty lazy.  Am I working hard enough?  Am I earning my keep?  What is my keep? 

Who are you?  What are you like?  Who do you want to be?  What are you doing to get there? 

Being passionate takes time and energy.  We only have so much of these things.  Where are your priorities? 

Just more thinking…

::SAdamson

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Help

Published on March 26, 2009 in Thoughts. 0 Comments

“Help” is defintely a double-meaning title for this blog post.  Not only is the post about help in the world, but I also need help trying to figure out what I’m writing, what I’m thinking, and what the heck my point is…

So I was working through my notes yesterday on the topic of social psychology.  We come to the topics of cooperation and altruism.  In the lecture, I remember thinking about my ranting and questioning of the corporation and business in today’s world from a couple months ago.  Then there is the topic of money currently being discussed in the sermons at St. John’s.  And then there is my naive little self trying to figure out what the right way to live is and how to act that out or if I’m just living in a dream world.

Sorry if this post is a little disjointed and random, but like I said, I need help!

Without cooperation, could we be where we are today?  Could you build a hospital and treat patients?  Could you design and build your own plane?  Or even your own car?  Could you make your own clothes, grow your own food, build your own house, and be able to function in our society?  I don’t think so.  We need to cooperation…

But do we need corporations who are reaping huge benefits and bonuses while much of our population can’t afford to feed themselves or clothe themselves?  Do we need $3000 suits?  Do we need $300,000 cars?  Do we need personal yachts?  Do we need massive houses?  Do we even each need our own lawn mowers?

I don’t think that we could live without specialization.  I think that there are people who are suited to being doctors and people who are suited to construction and people who are suited to working in restaurants.  But do these people deserve or need different compensations (aka. salaries)?  Could our society or us as individuals function to the same capacity running things with small family owned shops, specialized stores, and locally focused business plans?

What about things like insurance?  What about health care and welfare?  Could we live without these corporate/government agencies?  Should they corporate or government? 

What if we didn’t have welfare?  What if each and everyone of us did our part and took care of those in need, those less fortunate than us?  What if in our excess we didn’t buy more or bigger or better, but instead gave to those who didn’t have anything?

What if instead of insurance companies we each had our savings?  If your neighbour has a fire, you help them out.  If your friend gets sick, you help them get better.

But could really do these things without corporations and specialization and people each doing their jobs?  But should the CEOs make so much more than their secretaries or the guy who made their lunch at the restaurant?

What about investing?  The way I’ve been thinking (again, my naive little self that doesn’t really understand business or economics, etc.) is that if you’re making money off an investment, then somebody on the other end must be losing money.  That seems somewhat unethical to me…  But how could anyone get a house without a mortgage? 

Whoa!  I think that’s enough for right now, sorry for all the questions.  These are just some of the thoughts and questions that have been running through my mind as of late.  Please feel free comment either way.  I really have no idea what any of the answers to these questions are or what comes next.  Maybe my next post will be a little bit less depressing…

::SAdamson

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Uh-mazing!!!

Published on March 21, 2009 in Biking. 0 Comments

Kendt asked me last night as I was leaving work if I was working tomorrow.

I said, “No, I have to work at my other job.”

He said, “What’s that?  Riding your bike?”

“Yup!”

I had a pretty good ride today.  I’m super tired.  Good thing I don’t really have anything to do today!

But did you see Milan-San Remo??  What a finale!!!

Ooowweeeee!!!  That finishing kick is unreal!  What I would give to see that SRM file…

Have a good Saturday!

::SAdamson

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Content

Published on March 15, 2009 in Thoughts. 0 Comments

Are you content?

Why?

Why not?

Over at St. John’s we’re working through a sermon series on Jesus being recession-proof.  It’s been really, really good!

Today, Matt talked about giving out of bondage.  Why do we give?  How much do we give?  What do we give?  Why?

A bondage is something that we don’t want to give up.  Maybe I don’t want to give up my bike.  Maybe I don’t want to give up my computer.  Maybe I don’t want to give up my parents.  Maybe I don’t want to give up learning, money, health, clothes.  At what point do you have something that you feel like you would die if you had to give up?

My take home message was that God abundantly meets our needs.  When God is giving the meal, He gives in abundance.  We are then meant to take that abundance out into the world.

But we are also meant to be content with what we have.  Most people have times when they have plenty and times when they have little.  Recognizing that we have all of our needs met at all of those times will help us feel content.  I was also reminded of a blog post I did a while ago after one of Poul’s sermons, also on money.  It was about being content in those little things; Things that I called real.

I feel I must also define the word need.  I think we can all agree that there is a difference between needs and wants.  I want a custom suit, but do I need one?  I want a fancy steak dinner, but I just need calories.  You may want a nice car, but you really just need to be able to get to where you’re going.

But something stuck out to me that Matt said.  I want good health, but that may not be what I need or what’s best for me.  Really?  Wow.  How could good health not be best for us??  I don’t know, but I do know that God has our needs in mind.  He also knows what’s best for us better than we do ourselves.

So be content in what you have.  Know that it won’t last forever.  Know that God has your best interests and your needs in His heart.

::SAdamson

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What do you care about?

Published on March 11, 2009 in Thoughts. 0 Comments

Love?

Money?

Relationships?

Time?

Justice?

Anything?

What do the things that are important to us really mean?

::SAdamson

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Passion

Published on March 7, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

I think it’s all about passion!

I’m in a really weird mood right now… at 10:16am on Saturday, March 7, 2009.  I wish I was riding my bike.  I should be riding my bike.  I have 2.5 hours to do today and 2.5 to do tomorrow, but it is snowing huge flakes outside right now and they’re piling up, and it’s supposed to be “Alberta winter” cold tomorrow!

But what has happened this week to put me in this weird mood you ask?

I have been listening to some great Mars Hill sermons on their podcast.

I have been thinking about life and meaning and what I’m doing and what other people do and why.  And also why people put so much into things that they don’t necessarily get anything at all out of.

I have looked at some interesting cycling coaches and told myself again what I would love to do for a career.

I read an interesting blog post by CP Walsh interviewing great Calgarian cyclists and where they are today.  It was put very nicely that you have to love what you do, don’t expect a reward.  Just have fun!

I was asked if I ever considered racing my bike professionally.

There are some great people in this world who do great things.  You can’t deny that.  We are all human and we are all screwed up.  But work hard.  Have fun with what you do.  Smile.

I have been wishing that I had that person to talk to and tell all about my day and how funny the garage looks with plug-ins every meter almost and that I could share all my dreams, problems, worries, and passions with.

Paul was also not having the best day on Tuesday and seemed to have briefly lost his passion for the store and running and doing the things that he loves to do.  Then I was reading a magazine at the store about Felt bikes and how Jim Felt and his team were just purely passionate about the things they were doing, with Slipstream, and with bikes.

So I decided that life is all about the passion!

Intrinsic motivation is so much stronger than extrinsic motivation.  If you’re passionate about something, you just do it.  You don’t need a reward.  You don’t need recognition.  I don’t think that means it can’t come, but you’ll keep on doing it either way.  Just because you love it!

So today I have passion.  I love training.  I love racing my bike.  I love bikes.  But man, I do NOT want to go out and train in this snow!  So what am I going to do?  I don’t know. Knowing that there are great people out there and reading about them really motivates me.  This weather makes me really depressed.  But I know that today I will do what I’m supposed to do today!.  Just know this:

Do the things that you’re passionate about.  Don’t force it.  Have fun.  Smile.  Enjoy the people in your life, the opportunities you’re given, and the things you have.  Be content!

::SAdamson

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Who are your favourite bike racers and why?

Published on March 2, 2009 in Biking and Thoughts. 0 Comments

I have to say that I love the start of the season!  Especially this last weekend!  The opening of the semi-classics.  I love those races, I love that area, I love the coverage, I love the riders!

But I was thinking of this post for a little while.  Who are your favourites?  I like guys who take the sport seriously, who approach things professional, but guys who at the same time enjoy it, have fun, and realize that in the end it’s just bike racing.

  • Chris Horner

I think I fell in love with this guy back in 2004.  He signed with Webcor and while I didn’t know who he was, I remember everyone commenting on the fact that it was a bad idea.  Or maybe I only recognized it because Charles Dionne signed on after Chris.  Then he started tearing things apart.  He had a great segment in Pro.  He just seemed real.  He stepped it up to Europe (after his new director told him he had to lose a couple kilos; THE BEST RIDER IN NORTH AMERICA HAD TO LOSE A COUPLE KILOS TO RACE IN EUROPE!?!?!?).  He was and is a very smart bike racer as well.  I love listening to his interviews and his race analysis and predictions.  He raced for Lotto and another guy I like, Cadel Evans.  He always seems to work hard no matter what.  Last year he rode on the front of the Cascade Classic for a ton of the race by himself.  Then he came to BC Superweek and I got to get destroyed by him in a couple races.  Oh yeah, and he tried his hand at cyclo-cross for a while!

  • Jeremy Powers

Alright, most people who know me know that I love cyclo-cross and Jeremy Powers.  Why is he one of my favourites you ask.  I’m actually not too sure.  He has just always been cool.  He’s improved, slow and steady.  The way I think I do and want to continue to do.  I remember him first racing in the lead group in Boulder a couple years ago.  He races on the road.  He had a wicked segment in Cyclofile #1.  I got to have dinner with him and bunch of other guys in Portland a couple years ago (Thanks again to Carter and Thule!).  Just a great guy who takes the sport seriously but still seems to have a good time!

  • Jens Voigt

“An old German rider once told me, ‘When you get into a hotel room, first thing you do is tv check.  Turn on the tv, and from there everything you do, you do facing the tv.  Otherwise you won’t be a good rider.’”  Wow!  My mom still doesn’t believe me when I tell her that you need to the tv on all the time in the hotel… oh well, I guess that’s why I’m a better rider than her…  Haha.  Jens is the kind of guy who seems to just give 110% all the time!  I remember reading about him and Bobby Julich being roommates back in the day, and it was a lot like the relationship that I had with Mike at the time.  Geeking out about bike stuff all the time!!  It’s great.  He’s the breakaway guy that I love (I can think of one other star, that’s not quite star enough to make this list, not yet anyway…)!  Again, he just seems cool.  A down-to-earth, hard working, humble, geeky bike racer!  Are you sensing a pattern here yet?

  • Sven Nys

Did you really believe that I could leave Sven Nys off this list?!?!?  That’s what I thought… he’s the man!  I mean, he has a friggin race named after him!!  He’s a super hard worker.  He is pretty close to the cutting edge of technology and training.  He knows where he is strong and weak and works on those.  He is just the man!!

  • Will Frischkorn

Will has a wine cellar in his house!  He appreciates good food and good clothes!  He was almost grandfathered onto a great team.  But he rode some great races last year.  He put out some huge numbers in a ridiculously long break in Milan-San Remo.  He almost won a stage of the Tour!

So now who are your favourites?

::SAdamson

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