Tuesday was the warmest day in weeks, reaching into the 70s. It had been 17 days of riding on a basement bike trainer since the last gravel road ride in the Great Outdoors. The weather arrived, but I didn’t. I gave up coffee for Lent last week, and a cold-turkey caffeine headache was pounding behind my left ear just as I was getting ready to ride.
I hoped that the warm sunshine and gentle breeze would be the right tonic to fix me up in a few miles, so I headed out planning to go into the breeze on the way out and then cruise back home with the wind at my back. There was no cruising; in fact, it might have been the worst ride I’ve had in a long time. Actually, I can’t remember the last time I struggled as much on a 20-miler.
“He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” ~ Confucius
The forecast predicted a breeze of about 10 mph, but I saw tumbleweeds rolling and tumbling as fast as I was riding, so I’m pretty sure the wind was blowing faster than what was forecasted. About five miles into the ride, I faced a headwind while climbing a steep hill. There’s no wind or hills on the basement trainer, and no downshifting needed.
Go Away Monkeys
I shifted into granny gear, spinning the pedals, and the speedometer dropped to single digits as I struggled up and over the top of the hill. At least I was going somewhere, not nowhere, on the training bike. It was hurting, though, and one of the mind monkeys was already babbling about bailout options. Then a Warrior monkey lectured the whining monkey about discipline, doing hard things, and perseverance.
“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” ~ Lance Armstrong
The Warrior monkey said there were only about half a dozen more miles into the headwind, then I could coast home like a tumbleweed across the High Plains. The whiny monkey snapped back that it would be more fun hanging out in the BarcaLounger. I kept pedaling. My head kept throbbing, the monkeys kept chattering, and my shoulder hurt from working overhead the last two days, running Romex wire through the floor joists in the basement.
The goal of the bike ride was to enjoy the fresh air and have fun; it wasn’t happening. I knew there were important lessons to consider, but the monkeys weren’t interested. They just wanted to complain and whine about being victims. It’s funny how the mind works. I was out in nature under a big, beautiful sky doing something I truly love, but my ego was caught up in the experience, not meeting my expectations.
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character…” ~ Romans 5:3-4 NLT
Trials & Tribulations
The ego tried to turn the ride into a pity party, as if we were going through Jobian trials and tribulations at the hands of Satan or something. Heck, it was just some old man’s aches and pains, along with some windy conditions, not the end of the world. I lowered my hands into the drops, adjusted my breathing rhythm, and focused on the present moment—the sound of tires crunching gravel and the wind whistling around my ears.
When I returned to the cottage, I sipped a cup of Matcha tea, and my headache vanished. Vickie had prepared a magical turkey-topped spring salad that completed my recovery. I felt like myself. The monkeys visited again, but this time they were praising me for persevering through such a tough challenge. I smiled at their constant chatter, and the thoughts sailed away like a tumbleweed on the High Plains.
Love it, and can very much relate!! It’s funny the older I get the more monkeys there are!
Thanks, Dave. They’re shape shifters, too.