Day 107 -- Stupid Bike Ride

Today I went on a stupid bike ride.  It was stupid for so many reasons:

It was cold. 

It was windy. 

It was long. 

It was hilly. 

I had to ride over a zillion potholes. 

My butt hurt. 

My legs hurt. 

It was boring.

I almost got hit by a car.

I got honked at by a car.

I almost got hit by a truck.

I had already worked out in the morning by swimming, yet here I was, busting my butt on the bike when I could haven been at home with my family.

Do you agree yet that it was stupid?

At so many points on this ride, I wanted to quit.  I kept turning in different directions, waiting for the wind to be at my back instead of in my face, but it never happened.  I tried to call my husband to come get me, but I didn't have my phone.

But, I finished the ride, by the grace of God.  I did not get blown away by the wind.  My legs did not fall off.  I was not hit by a car.  I arrived at home a little grumpy and a lot cold and for that I am grateful.  I am so thankful that I finished the stupid bike ride.  It is over.  At least for today.

My half-Ironman training officially started this week and it has been a rude awakening, to put it mildly.  I thought that I was in pretty decent shape coming in, but apparently I was mistaken.  I get a day off tomorrow, and I am so ready to enjoy it fully.  When I read the description of my training for today, it said that this week was all about mental toughness -- getting through the workouts despite how good or bad you are feeling and completing them even in less-than-perfect weather.  If nothing else, maybe this stupid bike ride helped to develop my mental toughness.  Maybe by week 20 I will be one of those hard-core cyclists who relish riding in the cold and wind.  Maybe the stupid bike ride will be the invigorating and enjoyable bike ride...who knows?

At the very least I have to be grateful that I have an awesome bike, the physical ability to ride it, and the opportunity and time to go on a bike ride.  Even though I didn't enjoy the ride itself, the feeling of accomplishment was worth all of the stupid parts.

Thank God for the stupid bike ride!

Lord, thank you for taking something that felt stupid and turning it into an opportunity to be reminded of all of the blessings in my life.  Thank you for helping me to finish my ride today safely.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 162 -- "Showing Us the Way"

Image
One of my favorite things about the spring is the baccalaureate celebration that takes place the week before graduation.  I love the chance to see my seniors in their caps and gowns and to praise God for their arrival to the finish line.  For every year since I can remember, I've listened to Western's Select Choir perform the song "Showing Us the Way" by Michael V. Ficocelli.  When I was a senior, I even got to sing it at my own baccalaureate.  That year, and every year since I have taught at Western, I get choked up listening to the perfectly fitting lyrics of this song.  Tonight, on a perfect evening at the Cascades Falls, tears ran down my face as I watched the seniors I taught sing the words of this song to their classmates, parents, teachers, and friends.  I smiled and cried a little more as I realized that someday there's a good chance I'll be watching my own kids sing it at their baccalaureate. I had to share it with you.  This isn't Western's
Read more

We Dance...and We Sing...When We Play the Drum!

Let it be known that my son gets his money's worth out of his toys. Or, in this case, someone else's money's worth. Whatever. You know what I mean. The toys that he likes, he really, really likes. He uses them a lot for a long time. This particular toy is a drum that was given to him by our friends, The Tappans, at his FIRST birthday party. Needless to say, tonight he was REALLY enjoying his gift.
Read more

Day 80 -- Calvin and Hobbes

Image
When I was in junior high and high school, I used to read the anthologies of several comic strips, including Garfield, Fox Trot, The Far Side, and Calvin and Hobbes.  I remember reading them by the light of my bedside lamp, trying to stifle my giggles so that my parents wouldn't come bust me for staying up too late reading (the horror!). Calvin and Hobbes, especially, resonated with my sense of humor.  I found the strip simultaneously witty, funny, thought-provoking and perceptive.  I collected all of the anthologies, but somewhere between then and now, I either lost them or gave them away.  I told my husband about my tendency to read them from cover to cover, and how I was sad that I no longer had them.  Not too surprisingly, for Christmas, I received The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book from Santa. I have been slowly working my way through the book, and tonight I was reminded of Calvin's finicky eating habits and of his gift for creating macabre snowman art.  I w
Read more