The demon on your left shoulder

A fellow triathlon friend shared this motivational quote with me and I can't help but pass it on.

I am the demon perched on your left shoulder, the monkey on your back, urging you to go faster, ever faster until your heart pounds so relentlessly it feels as if it will shake apart in your chest-like an overtaxed water pump with cracked seals....oh you say you are above such pettiness? Well think again. I see you at your club rides sizing up the others, picking out the weaker and fatter members-easy marks you can leave in the dust. You've never been competitive, you only ride for fun right?... But once the niceties end and the ride begins I will urge you to chase down and devour the stragglers and weaklings... A giddy glee will well up in you as your legs involuntarily pump even faster. You will know how the cheetah feels when it overtakes the gazelle....so here I am, riding with you today, your Stygian co-pilot, holding up a mirror so you can view your own sluggish shortcomings. I know that you will sacrifice everything you hold good and true for a chance to go faster.....