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Greg Golly
Studio: Grapevine

Seemingly opposing forces, bound together, intertwined and interdependent, this describes my view of my favorite sport of cycling and its relationship to my new favorite sport, Bikram Yoga.

The relationship between yin and yang is often described in terms of sunlight playing over a mountain and in the valley. Yin (the shady place) is the dark area occluded by the mountains bulk, while yang (the sunny place) is brightly lit. As the sun moves across the sky yin and yang gradually trade places with each other, reveling what was obscured and obscuring what was reveled. Yin is generally associated as slow, soft and tranquil, feminine and dark. Yang by contrast is hard, fast, solid, dry, hot aggressive often masculine and bright.

Anyone who has done Bikram can see both yin and yang, contrast this with a bike ride at the annual Hotter Than Hell 100 cycling event held, when else, at the end of August.

Cycling is not yoga.
Yoga is not cycling.

The two practices are polar opposites. One stretches, lengthens, increases range of motion, the other locks you in to a position for hours on end, you're stuck there.

Being stuck in an aerodynamic tuck for one, two, three, or even eight to twelve hours calls for a loose, flexible back, hips, in fact every joint that moves needs a greater range of motion!

Yin and Yang are rooted together. Since yin and yang are created together in a single movement, they are bound together as part of a mutual whole.

Bikram is the answer to the question we all ask at the end of a 100-mile ride. "When is my (fill in the blank) going to stop hurting??

Cyclist are not just a pair of legs sitting on an office chair, spinning endless circles. Real cyclists use arms, shoulders back, hips and especially all the muscles of the core to stabilize those massive churning quadriceps. Big, strong legs need to be stabilized and anchored by an equally strong core. Think spine series!

Yin and Yang transform each other. Every advance is complemented by a retreat, every rise transforms into a fall.

Yin-yang are balance in dynamic equilibrium. I was surprised and delighted with the yin yang relationship between Bikram and cycling.

Low back pain has been my constant companion during long rides for over two decades. My quads were always stronger than my core, leading to fatigue and overload of the back, shoulders and neck muscles.

Imagine my surprise to find that Bikram focuses on just those areas, making it easier to tuck into that "down in the drops" position on my road bike.

The time on the floor devoted to low back, mid back and upper back strength pay back in a big way on the bicycle. The latest cycling event I participated in was called the Texas Time Trials. I did one of the "shorter" events, mine was only 12 hours! The long ones went for 24, 36 or 48 hours. Yes we race non-stop! You can guess that certain parts of the body get sore and tired in an event like this. Sure, the points that contact the bike get sore, hopefully your training has taught you to deal with these issues. Of course your legs (your motor) get tired, again your training should have taught you to deal with this. As the hours roll by, not unlike the time spent in yoga where you know what's coming next, you wonder if and how you are going to get through them (camel pose, or that mile long climb you face on every lap) you settle into a groove, a rhythm. Pretty soon you made it through camel, and you did the climb. (I knew I could!) Bikram has allowed me to put all of the big parts in order (strength, endurance, tolerance to heat, concentration, focus) as well as ordering the little, insignificant, but important parts as the hours roll by together (balance, low back and neck strength, ankle and knee flexibility) I had to end my ride when the weakest link finally failed. My legs where still working after 11 hrs, my butt, back, feet, arms and hands where still good after 11 hrs on the bike, My weakest link was not the ability to push the bike forward, power up the hills or spin the pedals. Something seemingly insignificant, something that I don't even train while riding the bike ended my race. If you can't hold your head up any longer, it's hard to ride on. My neck muscles turned to toast. Soggy toast. I was done! My goal of riding 140 miles was accomplished, and I couldn't ride another inch.

Cycling and yoga, like childbirth all hurt in unbelievable ways. Yet we can't wait to do it again and again. (At least 2 out of the 3) Cycling and yoga are a classic example of yin and yang. The mountaintop and valley gradually blending together as the sun passes overhead.

Thanks to my wife Kirsten for opening my eyes to this relationship, and for opening the possibilities for growth even as grey hair and old age look back in my mirror every day. Yes I can't wait to attack the spine series next time!