Crankology
Finding mental fitness on the bike
Friendly-ish advice from Cranky
Idle time is not something Dallas Eakins likes. As Tom Petty sings, “the waiting is the hardest part.” That’s the situation the former National Hockey League player found himself in when we connected the day after the Chicago Blackhawks won their third Stanley Cup in six years this past June. The ex-coach of the Edmonton Oilers was renting a house in Vancouver with his family, weighing what’s next. Eakins played in the nhl for 16 seasons. He also coached the Edmonton Oilers for a couple of years; it was his first head bench boss gig in the big leagues before being fired midway through the 2014-2015 season. Eakins hoped to get back to the nhl coaching ranks soon. Until then, he was taking advantage of the extra leisure time to spend with his family – and ride, of course. Born in Dade City, Fla., Eakins lived a very rural life growing up until his family moved to Canada. “My first bike was all black,” he recalled. “One of my first times when my parents let me go, and I was able to keep it up, I ran right into a car! That didn’t go over too well.” Like most, the athlete equates independence with his earliest memories and word associations with cycling. “Before you had a bike, you could always walk a bit of a distance, but when you had a bike, man you could get to places fast, you could get farther away from your home, and you could get back home quicker,” he said. “Even today, when I get on my bike, it offers such a sense of freedom.”
“You clear your head, get organized and come up with new thoughts and new ideas.”
Since Eakins started his coaching career, he’s been amazed by how much work he gets done while in the saddle. “I don’t have a computer in front of me, I don’t have a pen or a piece of paper, but you get out there and it doesn’t matter how long you ride for – whether it’s two hours or five-hours – you clear your head, get organized and come up with new thoughts and new ideas,” he said. The 48-year-old says it’s such a great feeling and a very rewarding one to go through that mental process on the bike.
“Everyone seems to equate that if you are on your bike, you are really fit. But, I always equate it with being mentally fit. That’s why I ride.” After being let go from the Oilers with two years left on his contract, Eakins had time to do more riding this past winter in Vancouver and the surrounding area. “I need the riding,” he admitted. “Being let go in such a public fashion is part of our business, but even though it’s part of your business, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s extremely hard on you and it’s extremely hard on your family. I’m lucky I have two little ones who teach you valuable lessons to move on quickly.” Eakins cycled several times a week with a group in Vancouver called T&A. Led by Brian Hill, founder and ceo of female clothing retailer Aritzia, other T&A members include nine-time Canadian cycling champion Cam Evans and nhl retiree Trevor Linden. This past summer, Eakins completed his sixth Leadville Trail 100 mtb, finishing 779th out of 1,429 with a time of 10:39:48. A little more than a week after we spoke, Eakins’s time in limbo officially came to an end. The San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League, an Anaheim Ducks affiliate, announced that Eakins would be their new head coach. In San Diego, Eakins should have no trouble riding year-round.