There is training to do and volunteers that put lots of effort into making sure that everyone arrives safe and in good spirits, the ride itself is very emotional, for the riders the roadies and everyone connected with the ride.
I was blessed with this a copy of this email, from one of my fellow training ride leaders to his first year riders, and I just had to share it with you. If you are able, please follow the link and make a donation
There is a reason we say "Don't worry about riding EVERY mile, but rather riding every mile you CAN."
There are a host of reasons even the best of riders may not be able to finish a ride -- exhaustion, injury, dehydration, bonking, a broken wheel, torrential downpour, an emergency calling him away, a proposal from John Stamos, -- and it is frustrating to have to admit to ourselves we may have to stop for the day.
But it is the reason that you SET out to ride in the first place that really counts and counts far more, and that reason endures no matter what happens out on the route.
That reason is personal and only yours, and it will ride with you every mile you ride, and will rest with you even for the miles you can't.
Ride every mile you can, and when you can't ride anymore, remember the reason you ride and love yourself enough to take a deep breath and say "perhaps tomorrow."
"This is a ride not a race."
We say that ALL the frikkin' time, and usually we think of it as meaning we shouldn't kill ourselves attempting to out-speed one another on the route.
While that's true, I think there's another struggle we often have, not necessarily in comparing our speed with other riders', but in comparing ourselves as complete riders or even worthy people against one another.
It's hard not to do.
My first year, I found myself feeling ashamed of being outpaced by others, watching comrades I'd started training with become fast and strong and soon I'd never see them until the end of the ride, where they'd arrived long before I did and with more ease and gusto.
I remember almost hurting myself by pushing way too hard in order to keep up lest my vanity be bruised.
But the entire training process is also not a race, the whole experience is a personal ride of sorts.
We may start training with someone, then watch her develop faster as she takes spin classes or is able to make room in her schedule for extra training, or her tax return allows her to afford an amazingly lighter and faster bike, or her years of long-distance running pay off in learning a new endurance sport. That is HER ride.
On the other hand, my work life may explode during the winter months, a family tragedy forces me to miss weeks of training, I get lingering bronchitis that won't let me get on the bike for a month at a time, my bike is stolen and I have to wait a couple of paydays until I can afford a new one, I have an accident and the doctor says it will be six weeks until I can ride again if at all... and mean while I watch other new riders grow and develop while I wonder if I'll ever be able to make it at all.
But this is MY ride.
Perhaps it's in our culture to compare ourselves, but as soon as we hear pride or vanity complain that we fall short in comparison with another rider, or if we notice we are pushing ourselves dangerously hard to stay apace of someone who is stronger or faster than we are for whatever reason...
STOP… Breathe…
This Ride of ours, the Ride-with-a-capital-R, may be for all of us and for those we dream to help; but once you are in the saddle it is your ride-with-a-little-r, and it is for nobody else but your own wee self.
Nobody else is straining against your own beliefs and doubts for you to train.
Nobody else is juggling all your needs and responsibilities.
Nobody else has your constellation of aches and conditions and strengths and challenges.
Nobody else has made the commitment you have made for the reason you made it and against the odds you face.
Out on the road, nobody else is pressing that pedal for you.
Ride YOUR ride.
Do not try to ride anyone else's.
Alrighty then, my lovelies. I wish you all a wonderful May and I hope you're getting good and excited about your Ride. Perhaps I'll see you on another training ride, or at Orientation, or sometime on the road or in camp.
Feel free to stop me and let me know how your ride is going, how you're liking camp life, how you feel your training helped or hindered, what you think of my scruples in forcing you to ride such wicked hills and through such icky winds and rain, what you think of my hair, whatever.
Until then, good luck and good riding!
Mettle to the pedal,
kurt
No comments:
Post a Comment