Day 58: 22.1 miles/1:23
“Detours and road closures cannot stop you from getting to your committed destination.”
Today’s ride was one of those physical and mental battles to simply get through the ride. From the first crank of the pedals to the moment when I was finally off my bike, this ride was hard. It was not a long ride. The course was not that difficult. The distance and time were actually slightly below my average. Yet, I was battling the entire ride to get it done and put it behind me. I have had very few rides like this on my 100 Pedals journey. In fact, I think this was one of the more challenging rides simply because it was so hard in the craziest of ways.
Not every day is going to be an easy one. Today’s ride, in contrast to yesterday’s ride, was one of those moments. Sore, tired, cold, and not very inspired would be a great summary of today’s emotions. Committed and accountable were the drivers that made today happen anyway. The internalized and passionate commitment of 100 Pedals is going to drive me to ride every day, even on the days when I have nothing to offer.
This is the challenge and the opportunity the establishment of any goal provides us. There will always be a day, or days, that test our resolve. Not every day is going to be easy. Not every day will provide us clear inspiration to be awesome. However, every day that we honor, fulfill, and celebrate our commitment is another day we made progress toward it. It is the days where the going is toughest are the days that we need to be more committed than ever to our success.
I did not get off the bike today and do a happy dance to celebrate my accomplishment. Emotionally I was so disengaged to the ride that I was merely relieved to be able to put it behind me. Today, I feel little celebration toward another step toward my goal. None of this is wrong or bad or worrisome. Not every day is going to be a great day. Despite my ambivalence to today’s ride, today was still and will be seen as a successful day. Today was a day that I stayed on my journey despite the obstacles the existed to make it difficult.
When you have a day like this—and you will—remember to do something to make progress on your journey and your commitment. It does not have to be anything significant or exceptional; but, it needs to be something that you can point to and say I kept things moving today. On my ride, I changed to and easier gear and slowed down my pace. I knew I didn’t have it. The same goes for you on those off days. Doing something to keep everything in motion is better than doing nothing at all or moving backward. The going may be slow, the task a little challenging, and the inspiration lacking. Remember your commitments to your goal and find something to make your day successful anyway. It will be worth it down the road.
