I tried something new on the ride to work the other day. It’s been a year since the Race Across America and my body hasn’t recovered yet. I’ve done a few small rides, 40-50 miles, but even during my commute little issues pop up. My neck and back especially are giving me grief. I was sore and fatigued after every ride.
My body doesn’t want to recover.
So I went back to the basics. RAAM broke my body down to nothing and I actually have to start over. Small rides, knee push-ups, stretching and foam roller, and of course, spinning on light gears as I headed to work.
Until some dude FLEW past me.
I couldn't help it.
I tore after him. I caught the guy but damn was it heavy riding. I think we’ve all been there, pushed by the urge to prove yourself even when it wasn’t the healthy choice. He and I chewed up the miles for 30 minutes or so before the toll came due.
The numbness building in my hands suddenly roared into gripping pain. I cradled it and coasted, and in that moment, the guy was gone.
My plan of starting back at square one, taking it easy and rehabing, had lasted for about 500 meters. Typical.
Every day and in every way, I get knocked off my plan. Isn’t that the most human thing of all? We can build these marvelous, multi-faceted strategies for success, for improving ourselves and fixing our flats instead of riding on rims.
And then we scratch it when our instincts kick in.
We’ve all gotta fight that urge, but what’s the answer? How do we fix it? I’ll share with you my strategy:
iYAWYAT
If you ain’t writin’, you ain’t tryin’
The way I internalize my ideas and convert them into action is by writing.
I don’t miraculously take away lessons from life, I have to chew my experiences over, inspect them, revisit them time and again.
This is how I learn what I think. I work through my inspirations during the day and record them, leaving breadcrumbs in my journals and documents. My morning lesson isn’t going to stick on it’s own. When I write, I realize how precious are the thoughts that with a good night’s sleep can vaporize into oblivion. One moment's insightful wisdom is the next moments “What was I thinking about!?”
So I write. And you should to.
Because today that same damn rider blew past me, down in his aero bars, and do you know what I did?
Blew him a kiss and bid him g’day.
-AJK
31st July 2018