Harder Than It Sounds?

A friend emailed me after reading yesterday’s blog (thanks Ann), suggesting that I made the ride sound so easy; her observation made me think about how we shape our experiences, and how they appear to others. Even if we are trying to be as honest as possible, we need to select certain details over others, lest we bore the reader, and ourselves, with the minutiae.

As I have said in past posts, were I to sit down and write the blog in a middle of a ride, which I don’t have the patience to do, I might sound much more grumbly.

I might talk about the lower back pain I get on really long climbs, or the searing pain I get in my neck and shoulders if I don’t stop to stretch properly throughout the day. If I really felt like sharing, I might tell you about the chafing I get when I don’t put on enough chamois cream.

I definitely have my moments of discomfort, and at the end of many days, I feel prickly and weary, but then the late afternoon  sun bathes the world in a golden light, as it did today, and I feel good again.

I also have moments of irritation when I veer off course, as I did several times today, especially in Rome, not the nicest town, when I got myself all turned around.

These are all minor setbacks, though, and they pass, which is something I have learned through my long rides, marathons, and even Ironmans. What is vital is not to become hyper focused on the discomfort. When I am on a trip like this, where I have booked every night, I don’t spend energy debating whether to continue or to stop. One of the nicest compliments I received was from my friend, Jody, who said I will always keep going until I get where I need to go. That sort of dogged determination seems to serve me well.

Today I was doing battle with a bit of a headwind. There were stretches where I could really feel it pushing at me, and I braced against it, but then the wind would lessen, and I would lean into those moments and enjoy them.

I am no Pollyanna, enjoying every single moment and smiling relentlessly, which, I fear, might make me look slightly unhinged, but I do try to be present and to redirect my energies when they veer towards lamenting the imperfections of any given moment. And if I really need to shift my attitude, I will make myself list ten things for which I am grateful. I usually don’t get beyond the fact that I am incredibly privileged to be able to make these trips before my mood lightens considerably.

All of this is to say that these trips may not be as easy as they sound, but they are as magical as they sound.

To finish, today’s highlight was meeting another cyclist, Ken, with whom I had an awesome chat. He was friendly and generous, and he lifted my spirits and made me look forward to the rest of the day of cycling, so thanks Ken.

Oh, yes, here are some photos from today’s ride, along the Erie Canal Trail.