100 Pedals

Recovery for Parents Dealing with Addiction in their Families

## Telling Your Story

January 28, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 28: 18.5 miles/1:10

“We all have a story to tell. The most amazing stories are from those who pushed through and discovered the path that fulfilled their promise.”

Everyone is on a journey. Just as our gifts, talents, and personalities are unique, so too is each of our journeys. Along the way we are all going to experience challenges, obstacles, plus the pain and frustration of things not moving fast enough. How we respond to adversity and overcome those learning experiences that are provided to us on our journey is what makes our story unique.

One of the sayings that used to drive me crazy was “If it was easy, anybody could do it.” It’s true. Life is not easy. Life is work. Fulfilling the promise for our lives requires an intense, persistent, and committed focus. And there are days when simply focusing seems and feels impossible. But, that is what makes our story unique.

While on my bike ride this morning I was thinking about the difference between a great story and just any story. There are a lot of stories or people who almost made it, quit, gave up, or compromised the dreams. We see and hear those stories all the time. There is nothing unique about that. Those are easy stories. Anybody can do a story about almost, if only and I tried.

The amazing stories are those told by people who made a commitment to change their life or drive through adversity or left it all behind simply because they were determined to fulfill their promise. To be the person that they knew they were destined to be. Those are the stories that resonate as awesome.

You have a story to tell. You have been blessed with gifts, talents, abilities, and opportunities unique to you. How that story is told is entirely up to you and your commitment to fulfilling your promise.

Filed Under: Make A Commitment, Uncategorized

## Everything Matters

January 27, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 27: 29.0 miles/1:42

“Everything you do matters; focus on what matters most!”

Whether we realize it or not, everything we do results in something. Some of those influences or outcomes are minimal, others can be significant. In some cases the action may prevent us from doing something else or, it may create a great opportunity. Regardless, everything we do results in something.

How we prioritize our day, the way we utilize our time, and the attitudes we bring to our activities all have an influence in our outcomes. When I discuss this with Brandon, I often sense a reluctance to own this accountability. Whether he is engaged in doing something constructive or disengaged and doing something destructive, all have an influence in the overall outcome of his goals and his commitment. When he gets off on a negative tangent, he is making no progress on his goals. Not working out, not attending meetings, not entering in his journal or playing on the computer are all harmless activities. There is no foul in him doing these things. Unless you look at it in light of what he wants to accomplish this year.

Getting control of his addiction requires a diligent and vigilant effort. How do any of those behaviors support or drive him to his mission. When I ask him, the answer is “I don’t know. What’s the big deal?” The big deal is that he is not utilizing his time productively to move forward. He is simply using his time to kill time.

The same is true with each of us. How important is it to answer every phone call, to be instantaneously connected to our emails, to work on the small tasks at work because it takes too much time to work on the big stuff? Having a clear vision of our mission and our goal is one thing. Creating a committed focus around prioritizing our time to accomplish it is another. Not having time to work on our goals, is only a result of our creating enough distractions that we excuse ourselves from having to accomplish it.

Rethink your work and your priorities. Are you killing time with busy work or are you working on what really matters? What matters are those activities that will enable you to achieve your goals. They need to be the first component of your day, they need to be the key to a productive day, and you need to manage your distractions in a manner that you are able to keep moving forward. Every activity matters; make sure you have assigned them the appropriate priority.

Filed Under: Maintaining Focus, Uncategorized

## Taking Risks

January 26, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 26: 19.2 miles/1:12

“You don’t know what you are capable of until you put yourself in a position to do something you have never done before.”

Today’s ride was certainly an adventure. I have started to get in the habit of riding earlier in the morning on my weekday rides. Leaving the house around 5:15AM gives me an opportunity to fulfill my commitment, get inspired for the day and the get on with my day. Two of the known and previously discussed challenges of the early morning rides are the dark and the cold. Usually traffic is an advantage, not a risk—until today. I had four separate incidents where my defensive riding skills saved me from becoming a very large hood ornament. I was determined to find an alternative course for the early morning rides out of my eastern based route. Needless to say, with the vehicle adventures I had this morning, I am likely going to stick to the morning routes that are proven as safer.

Today’s inspiration comes from a discussion I had with Brandon and from a lunch conversation I had yesterday, as well. During my lunch conversation, the person I was meeting with was talking about her life’s experiences and how she ended up where she is today. Currently unemployed, she was talking about her conscious decision to sell her businesses, most of her belongings, and transition to Phoenix to get a fresh start. She came here with no guarantees, no job and brought with her only her experience and commitment to what she is capable of. As she discussed her journey and the enjoyment she is getting from it, I realized that her life experiences are based on doing what hasn’t been done, trying what hasn’t been tried, and simply getting moving. While not everyone is as capable of taking the risks she has and is taking, it is quite clear that she knows that whatever she does, she is capable of finding joy in it, even if she doesn’t know what the outcome is. What she has done is found out what she can do by doing something she has never tried before.

When I picked Brandon up from his meeting last night, he was talking about a person who had just returned from a special rehab program in jail. As he described it, the program sounded a bit like the army meets rehab in jail. There was a great deal of discipline, accountability, and responsibility associated with this program. And, successful completion of the sixty-day program meant a reduction in sentence. This program was not the typical attend-and-learn program; it was an engage and be accountable for your engagement. I was pleased to hear that the correction system offered something that would council and guide people through a rehab program instead of simply killing time.

What got my attention was when Brandon said, “I am not sure I would like that type of program.” I know he didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be interested in it, he was thinking out loud about his ability to succeed in it. I counseled him not to be so hard on himself. He has never been put in a position where he could choose an option like that; and, if he did opt to enter into something like that he has no idea what he is capable of once he gets there. Until he is in a situation that really tests and challenges him, who knows what he could do.

Filed Under: Make A Commitment, Uncategorized

## Its Not the Fall that Kills You…

January 23, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 24: 30.2 miles/1:48

“We may have Humpty Dumpty like falls; but, there is nothing in our life experiences that cannot be repaired, fixed, corrected, improved or an opportunity created from it.”

I was feeling particularly low when I started riding today. I was frustrated from the previous day’s events. Every time I feel like there is progress being made with Brandon, something seems to derail it.

Then I started to think about 100 Pedals, my commitment, and the real purpose of this commitment – for me to be strong for myself even when Brandon falls down. So here I am on my bike, fulfilling the commitment I have established for myself. While on the bike, I thought about how hard we can sometimes fall. And, it is not the fall that stops us. It is not getting up and moving that does.

Unlike the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty, there is nothing that we cannot survive or learn from. Even though we may be broken into pieces over an event, an illness, a relationship, a termination, there is a challenge associated with this occurrence. The challenge is how are we going to respond to it? What are we going to do to learn from the experience or create an opportunity from it?

As I was riding my bike I started to celebrate my accomplishment of the day. I am disappointed and hurt by Brandon’s fall, but I didn’t let that interrupt my vision and my mission. I picked myself up, pushed through, and celebrated a nice long ride. No matter the obstacle or the failing, there is nothing that cannot be repaired, fixed, corrected, improved, or an opportunity created from it provided you pick yourself up and keep moving forward.

Filed Under: Inspirational Perspectives, Maintaining Focus, Make A Commitment, Uncategorized

## The Pain of Compromised Standards

January 22, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 22: 24.3 miles/1:24

“Why is it that when I say, ‘I am putting this in your hands’, the first sign of an answer is one that hurts me and causes me pain?”

I was heading out for my morning ride. When I left, something just didn’t feel right with Brandon. It was one of those instinctive moments. Having been around Brandon a few times before a fall, I have developed a paranoia-like sixth sense about these things. I can’t tell you what it is. All I can say is that I always know something is amiss. Leaving for this morning’s ride, I had one of those moments.

Being that Brandon had been doing so well, I could not or would not have predicted that my gut instincts were serving me well. Since I believed what I wanted to believe, not what I really knew, I went on my ride anyway. About ten minutes into the ride, I had this instant urge to turn back. I was not relaxing and my concern was growing. As I crossed into an intersection, a place where it would have been the most convenient to head back, I decided not to let this distract me and declared “I am putting this in your hands to handle it” and continued my ride.

When I returned, all my concerns were verified. After twenty-one days of being clean, Brandon had once again fallen down. He stole my bank card, withdrew $60, borrowed the car, drove to a dealer and got some junk. Then, he returned home, replaced the card, and went off to the gym to shoot up.

Such is the life of an addict-clean one day and out of control the next. It is so distressing and painful to experience the deception, the failure and the betrayal. Once again I found myself confronting Brandon and informing him it was time for him to leave. Hurt and disappointed and angry I returned back to the house to deal with my emotions in another round of the Brandon roller coaster circus.

How does something like this happen? What was he thinking? I thought he was doing so well. Why didn’t he tell me he needed me? I would have delayed or skipped my ride if he had asked me to. Why didn’t he phone his sponsor instead of his dealer? These are the kinds of questions that race by the thousands through my head. I went from celebrating the seventeen best days that I had enjoyed with Brandon to that painful, mournful loss of a friend. The next emotion is that feeling of concern and dread. Where will he go? Will I see him again? If or when I do, when will it be? And, do I even want to see him anymore? The roller coaster life of an addict plays havoc on more that the addict, it is a painful, emotional roller coaster for family and friends, too.

As I reflect on the day’s events, I think of the lesson learned in this experience. As it relates to Brandon, it is a lesson that I have not learned very well yet. But, I am getting better at understanding I need to. When it comes to what we observe, what we believe or want to see is often a stronger influence that what we are really observing. When I left this morning, I knew something was wrong. I knew I needed to pay extra attention to Brandon. However, I wanted to believe that things were different. I wanted to trust that my instincts were wrong. I chose to ignore every indication of trouble because I wanted to believe that my gut was wrong.

When it comes to your commitments and mission, there are times where you will allow exceptions, excuses, or lower standards at the risk of your success. Remember, maintaining a successful course means staying on course. Allowing yourself or others involved in your program to get off track puts the program at risk. Part of the challenge with any commitment is being sensitive and in-tune to behaviors and situations that could derail the program. Looking the other way or ignoring the warning signs, especially because we don’t want to admit what we see or feel, could cause issues in getting to the goal. Stay sharp and trust your instincts and don’t let anything threaten what you have worked so hard to accomplish.

Filed Under: Maintaining Focus, Make A Commitment, Uncategorized

## We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

January 18, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 18: 18.2 miles/1:10

“What we don’t know is far greater than what we do. Life is filled with possibilities we can’t yet see.” ~ Will Marre

We don’t know what we don’t know. Life is filled with pleasant surprises. Life throws us our curves, too. We simply don’t know when these opportunities or challenges will come our way. All we can do is be prepared for them. Celebrate your victories, push through your battles, and learn from all of them. There is always a learning opportunity to be discovered in both situations. What you didn’t know prior to your current experiences is what presents us with the future lessons in our lives.

How do you prepare for the ups and downs in life? We can prepare by learning from our experiences. One of the lessons we can focus on in the course of our daily lives is how to make our successes repeatable and how to make our miscues avoidable.

When we experience the joy and accomplishment of a successful situation, the best thing we can do, after the celebration, is understand what occurred to create that outcome. Not every aspect of our success is always definable or readily understandable; however, we need to take a moment to explore what factors were in play that enabled us to be successful in that situation. Once we recognize and understand what those actions, behaviors, conversations, or strategies were, we now can concentrate on doing more of that. Experience has now taught us that those actions are related or linked to successful outcomes. The more we recognize and understand the actions we engage in that facilitate successful outcomes, the more effectively we can consistently influence successful outcomes.

This is the beauty of our promise. As we continue to explore and learn from all of our activities and all of our outcomes, we can begin to create an environment where we recognize opportunity and embrace the possibilities for our life. Until we shift into this space, what we see is only what we know. And, since we can only go with what we know, we are creating a world that has little opportunity for being different.

This is a very powerful thought. We only know what we know until we discover more about what we don’t know. What we don’t know is where opportunity lies. Despite our present state, we need to trust that as we develop a better understanding of what we know and be receptive to learn more about what we don’t, it will open up possibilities that we never thought possible because of the manner in which we are shifting our thinking and our behaviors.

Filed Under: Inspirational Perspectives, Learning From Experience, Seizing Opportunity, Uncategorized

## Breaking the Habit

January 17, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 17: 20.1 miles/1:12

“The scenic route can be a pleasant change of pace on a focused journey — as long as it doesn’t take you off course for long!”

For me there is nothing better than a little change of pace. Doing the same thing, the same way, every day pains me. In contrast, there are others who relish the control, security, and organization that come with a nice steady, reliable routine. While both approaches can and do work, there is something to be said for managing chaos with some control and process; and, there are obvious benefits associated with changing up the routine a little bit.

While I was riding and celebrating this accomplishment, I started to reflect on some of my writings as it relates to focus and commitment. While it is important to have an intense commitment to your goals, there is an aspect to this commitment that needs to allow for freedom and flexibility. Your focus and your commitment are what keep you on track. However, this does not mean you need to establish some unrelenting, self-centered routine to get there. Part of the journey is celebration. An aspect of celebration is discovering new and unique ways to accomplish what you desire to accomplish.

Finding on new bike route on my 100 Pedals journey is a great example. I could keep cranking out rides on the same courses every single day for 100 consecutive days. It would help me maintain my routine and still enable me to celebrate my daily accomplishments while finding success in overcoming adversity; but, there would be something missing. What I would miss out on is the adventure of new paths, different roads, a unique view, or simply a change of pace. Changing things up while staying on task allows me the opportunity to discover and experience new perspectives along the way. These new perspectives provide added energy, joy, and accomplishment to my commitment.

This is the same for your commitment. A little change of pace can only help you. A break from the routine or the receptiveness to explore other paths offers a fresh perspective. This could involve having conversations with people or groups you normally don’t connect with, trying something different on the menu or trying a different restaurant, reading book that has nothing to do with business, or listening to a presentation from someone you would normally make no time for. You know what your commitment is. Nothing will take you away from that when you maintain focus and surround yourself with those that will support you and hold you accountable. However, allowing yourself to wander and explore other avenues on your journey will help break up the routine and give you other things to look at and enjoy.

Take time to find a way to enjoy a break from the routine of your commitment. Discover new paths, new courses, and new opportunities to accomplish your mission without getting stuck in a routine that confines you. The scenic route offers so much more than a beautiful view – it provides the energy and inspiration you need to feel good about your focus and your intent.

Filed Under: Learning From Experience, Make A Commitment, Uncategorized

## Getting Off The Stage

January 16, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 16: 25.7 miles/1:32

“There is a big difference between the roles we have played in our lives and living the truth of who we really are.”

Life has done this to a lot of people-confused who we really are with what we think we are. Somewhere in the journey of life, we start doing the things we are supposed or expected to do and start becoming something that others think we should be. The outcome of this activity is that instead of really being who we are, we start to play the role that we have created for ourselves through the influences of others. In some cases, this denial of self is the reason we simply cannot enjoy life or feel happy with what is going on. For the person who is supposed to be celebrating these accomplishments is really the actor playing a role on stage and not the person being themselves. In order to truly live our passion, we need to find a way to get off the stage, stop playing this role, and get in contact with those activities, beliefs, and behaviors that are true to who we really are.

The shifting economy has caused millions to lose their jobs, their homes, their wealth, and their relationships. At the same time, there are many people that have found that once they were relieved of the pressures of maintaining this life style, they were now free to explore and engage in activities, programs, careers, and businesses they had always wanted. This hasn’t worked for everyone yet , for there are still those who do not know what to do when they aren’t playing the role they have played their entire life. Once they do, they will discover the great opportunities they have waiting for them as they begin to engage in programs that are part of their real self.

For each of you getting off the stage, off the grid and to understand who you are and what you are is a great place to start. Try not to put titles and functions to those things that excite or energize your passion; doing that will only force you to find another role to play. Simply go through the process of identifying those aspects of your life, the activities, the conversations, the experiences, or the events that have truly excited and energized you. Take a moment to understand what it was about those experiences that you enjoyed.

Finally, explore the consistency with which these experiences repeat themselves and ask yourself why am I not doing more things like that? You will receive some clear insights into activities that you really have a passion for and it will allow you to look for opportunities to do more of them. And, when you catch yourself using your role as a reason to block the opportunity to engage in this more often, think of how you can minimize the adverse influences of the role and maximize the opportunities to do what you do best and enjoy the most. When you accomplish this, you are on the way to freeing yourself of roles and responsibilities that have kept you from becoming who you were meant to be.

Filed Under: Learning From Experience, Live With Passion, Living Your Purpose, Uncategorized

## The Support of Your Resources

January 15, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 15: 20.5 miles/1:18

“While your battles are yours, they are best fought with the support and guidance of others.”

Today’s inspiration continues along the theme of finding resources that can be of value. It stems from a conversation I had with Brandon last night about his personality. I have a trusted friend whose business provides consulting and coaching regarding personality types and behaviors. Her program provides, for me, the most insightful and helpful perspective and information. Brandon has taken the profile evaluation and is learning about his behavior. It is incredible how much he internalized and valued his first conversation with her. I think it really provided him a clear perspective on aspects of his personality and behavior that he intuitively believed; but, did not feel empowered to trust as accurate or correct. Armed with the insight and guidance of a professional, Brandon has a more comfortable and confident perspective on his personality.

When we were discussing what he learned, he talked about his trait as a problem solver. While I never thought about it, I believe it. For Brandon has always acted as though he was supposed to or determined to figure things out for himself. I always viewed it as a component of his stubborn streak. Instead, since his personality includes this aspect of being a problem solver, he shouldn’t ever have to ask for help; he simply should be able to figure it out himself. Now that he recognizes that determination to solve his own problems, it can help us all understand why he never asks for help and why it is okay to ask for help.

The lesson for all of us is that no matter how talented, skilled, insightful, or experienced we are, there is nothing that we need to deal with alone if we really need to find a solution. Whenever we need help or are stuck and are looking for an answer, our resources are there for us. Ask for help. There is no weakness or shortcoming in asking for help. The weakness or shortcoming is the risk you put yourself in when you don’t ask. Failure comes when you can’t solve a problem before it beats you. How you deal with an issue, problem or challenge isn’t how life is not important. What is important is that you solved the issue, problem or challenge in a timely manner that keeps you moving toward your goal.

Surrounding yourself with trusted resources and using their experience, skills, insights, and inspiration is key to staying on track. There is no shortcoming in surrounding yourself with great people and asking them for guidance when you find yourself struggling. Utilize your resources for all they can and want to be. Whatever it is you are facing that is causing you stress, grief, or confusion is something you do not have solve on your own. Access your trusted team and work through it with them. When you do, everyone benefits from the experience.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

## Your Trusted Advisors

January 14, 2026 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

Day 14: 17.9 miles/1:09

“You cannot hear a man’s advice unless you trust his word.” ~ Brandon Cooke

When Brandon shared this quote with me, I was overjoyed. He thought it up in the middle of a conversation the two of us were having with a trusted friend of mine. The clarity with which he was engaged in the conversation and the point at which he grabbed a pen and wrote it down were breakthrough moments for me. I had a little celebratory experience. This is the first time in a long time, certainly in the last two years, that Brandon engaged and participated in an intellectual discussion at every conversational level. Nice!

Earlier I talked about the importance of being surrounded with the right influences. The people and the voices that we listen to are a key to staying on course and learning how to keep moving forward. Brandon’s thoughts take this to a different level. Actually, Brandon’s quote drives us on two fronts: trusting those around us and being a trusted resource ourselves.

Besides surrounding yourself with positive, experienced, and supportive people, you need to be comfortable that you trust those around you. The recruiting process for an influential group starts with engaging people I really know and trust and find very valuable. These are people I want to have in my circle. When you are passionately working on your mission, commitment and goal, you are responsible for the people you surround yourself with. Everyone you surround yourself with must be a positive and productive resource for you as you embark on your journey. Anything and anyone that takes energy away from or is a distraction to your defined outcome is to be avoided. Fulfilling or accomplishing your commitment is dependent upon you taking positive and focused steps every day. Allowing people that you cannot trust or do not believe in, even those with the best of intentions, are not in a position to contribute to your success.

Remember the world is watching you on your journey. Surround yourself with people you trust to keep you on your path. Their positive, supportive, and influential voices are the ones you need to hear on a regular basis. Remember to engage and connect and share with those that can learn from you along the way. The real joy and accomplishment of your journey is closely linked to your ability and willingness to share your experiences, your commitment, and your challenges along the way.

Filed Under: Uncategorized