04/12/2021
My first 50 mile ride
35 miles in I pulled over (at a cemetery of all places) to stretch for a minute and think about what route I should take to get the remaining 15 miles in. I am not saying it’s the hardest part, but finding 50 miles of clean, safe and open road to cover in Northeast Philly is challenging on it’s own. I took a sip of water and hit the road. 30 seconds back at it and now I'm getting beeps telling me my Bluetooth speaker is about to die. No! How will I get this last hour in without music. (BTW, 6 hours play time my ass, Sony!) Just then I hear, "on your left". It was a 4 person group of road cyclists. Perfect! I cut the music off and pushed my pace. Feeling the spirit of the group I was reinvigorated and charged up. I looked at my Polar tracker and saw we were cruising at 20+ mph. My legs and back were on fire but I was alive, and I was on it. I teach focus to my clients. Be engaged - be present. That's what I did. Yeah I was tired and tight but I had a goal. And these 4 road warriors dialed me right the f**k in. Focus only on what matters. Find your line. Push your limits. Discover yourself. Every day is a chance to have a breakthrough. We did a few miles together and then they pulled off for their pit stop. I thanked them for letting me tag along and I continued on. I saw them about 40 minutes later on my home stretch. They were coming the opposite way. They gave a big cheer from across the way and I rode the last mile with a huge smile instead of grimacing or grunting it out on a grueling crawl to the finish line. I was alive and awake. That's how it should feel. That's how it is.
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