I never thought I would say this, especially about any kind of exercise that involved the outdoors, but I do truly love riding my bike. I like riding sometimes by myself, and sometimes with my sweetheart, and sometimes with friends. But there is something special about riding by yourself, really getting quiet, blocking out the world, and just being in that exact moment. Not thinking about work, or the bathroom that needs painting, or the dishes that need washed, or the lesson I need to study, or the song I need to learn, or the kid that has to take a shower today because she stinks like a boy, or any other squirrel topic that my mind runs to. I can just truly enjoy the ride.
I know I have already written a post very similar to this, but it just really spoke to my heart this morning as I was riding. I was torn between needing to stop and write down some notes before I forgot and not wanting to stop riding on this beautiful morning. Needless to say, I kept riding, finished 10 miles this morning before a lot of the world was awake....but I jotted down my notes as soon as I got back in the car. Honestly, this may become 2 posts, but here we go.....
1. I've been trying to concentrate lately on my cadence, my own personal rhythm on the bike. Notice I didn't say speed, I said rhythm, meaning the way my legs work to spin the pedals. A good friend told me a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't about the speed the bike goes, its about the rhythm of your spin, your cadence. That no matter what hill was ahead, use your bike gears and your body to keep your cadence consistent. Here's the catch....I didn't say I needed to keep up with my sweetie, or my friend, or another rider in the park, or anyone else for that matter. It's MY cadence, and only MY cadence. As a musician, what I tend to do is what ever song is playing in my ears...the beat of that song becomes my cadence for the next 3-4 minutes. It's almost a game to me, to find the beat, and then stick with it, using my gears to be able to better pedal and keep my rhythm going. Think about that with life....there are plenty of cliche sayings that go right along with this....march to the beat to YOUR own drum. Done!
2. Fight through the pain....your reward is coming. For 5 solid weeks my hiney has hurt more than I can explain. Trying to get used to a new bike saddle is no fun. Every time I sit down, I would twinge in pain because there were serious bruises. BUT...I stuck with it, I pushed through, no matter how it hurt, although I may have complained and cried a little even, I kept riding my bike. Today was the first day since I started that it didn't hurt. I was so excited! I almost didn't want to stop at 10 miles!! Here again...big life lesson....we all know it....life isn't always easy. No one ever promised us it would be. But in the end...WE WIN!!! EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! Look at the back of the book....the devil always loses in the end. So hang in there friend, keep pedaling, keep pushing, keep fighting....your reward, your blessing, your prince charming, your provision, your answer, your peace is coming.
3. My hubby always says to me...eat the elephant one bite at a time. Meaning, don't try to do something all at once, that takes steps to complete. I think I talked before about riding uphill, that I had to focus on the tiny bit of road in front of me, not looking for the crest of the hill. That is still true. But here's the other thing... I don't want to set goals for myself that are so far out there that I can't attain them. Break it up into smaller goals. Eat the elephant one bite at a time! So the greenway that I ride in the mornings, is about a 5 mile loop (of sorts). One end is a huge hill, I don't like to park there, because I don't want my last mile to be totally uphill. So I start about a mile and a half down the path. So I go up the hill first, and then do the rest of the loop. For the last couple of weeks riding there, I finish that first mile in a little over 6 mins. Which I was ok with....but today, I was determined to do it in less than 5 minutes. (Keep in mind, the first week I rode there, my goal was to not get off the bike, now I am trying to go faster up the hill!!!) So I pushed, I pedaled harder, I didn't stop for water at the top, I just kept pedaling as fast as I could....and at the mile mark, the app on my phone said, "total distance 1 mile, total time 5 mins 46 seconds, average speed 10.3 mph". I couldn't believe it!!! As I flew down the hill, my heart soared, I was so proud of myself for doing it. Here's the thing....you can't make your goals too big or too little....challenge yourself, but don't make it so far out of reach that you constantly feel defeated. I mean, Rome wasn't built in a day, and I didn't make that up!
4. This one hit me like a ton of bricks. Sort of goes hand in hand with the goal talk from above... Don't coast too long, you might miss something. When there are hills (in biking or life), once you push through and crest that hill (or struggle) it's easy to just sit back, smile, and coast away. But if I spend half of my work out coasting....and I really exercising anymore?? Same thing in life, if I get in a comfortable spot, and just coast... am I really doing all I can do? For myself? For my family? For my church? For my God? I still have to move and work, and be ready for the next hill that is coming just around the corner.
5. Most days I try to remember to eat something before I go riding...today, I was so excited to get outside I forgot completely. Usually I will grab a banana, or a protein shake, something simple, just to get some fuel in my stomach. Today I could tell that I forgot. It didn't stop me from riding, it just made a few parts a little more difficult, and I was starving by the time I got home. Apply that to life...if you don't fuel your spirit, how can you be all that you can be for the kingdom? I can work every week in the children's ministry, pouring out myself, giving everything I have for Jesus and those kids. But eventually, I will be empty if I am not doing my part to be filled every day too. Fuel your body, fuel your mind, fuel your soul. Eat healthy, learn something every day, be in His Word, pray, attend service with your church family, be in a bible study. Fuel your entire body!
6. Ok, I know this is getting long, but I had to get it all out, and I saved the best story for last. When I ride, even if I have my headphones in, I try to be cordial to everyone. Say good morning, wave, smile, whatever I can. There was this one lady, who would never smile or wave back, ever! She seemed kind of odd to me actually. Always wears a coat and gloves to walk in the park...in the summertime! Odd!! Anyways, when I was riding last Friday, headed towards the big hill of the loop (for the 2nd time), she was walking up the hill. It worried me to death, because I was afraid she would be able to walk up the hill faster than I could pedal. LOL It made me super nervous as I was getting closer. She turned around and saw me coming, and moved a little more to the right side of the path for me. I thought, great, she gets it, its not an easy hill. Well right as I get ready to pass her, she holds up her finger and starts to say something. I almost wrecked trying to stop, pull out my earbuds, and talk to her. She then proceeds to chew me out, says I am supposed to say "on your left" as I pass someone, that it is the rules of the road. I apologized, I thought she saw me, and I told her I thought she was listening to music and wouldn't hear me. She said in response "NO! I have seen you multiple times, and you never say it!" I was completely flabbergasted! I didn't know how to respond really. I was totally caught off guard. So I said ok, and started pedaling again. The entire rest of that ride, I stewed over that lady. I let it distract me. I rode thinking of things I should have said, or could have said to her. I was waiting for the next chance I would get to scream "ON YOUR LEFT!!!!" the next time I passed her. I let it get under my skin. Well, fast forward to this morning. I was hoping I wouldn't run into her. That maybe I had gotten there before she did. Then I saw her up ahead, in that crazy coat again! Plenty ahead of time, before I passed her, I politely said "on your left", she scooted over a little, and I kept on riding. No harm, no foul. I continued my ride for about 15 more minutes before I saw her again, this time we were headed towards each other face to face. As I got closer, for the first time, she smiled and waved at me. As I passed her, it hit me...I don't know what she goes through on a daily basis, I don't know her at all. That little encounter might have made her day. The fact that she said something and someone listened to her and tried what she said....made her smile. And all I had to do was say "on your left".....now, all I have to say is apply that to life!! Do something simple that could make someone's day!!!
Love yall....thanks for letting me ramble!
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