Bike Star
Copyright Janet Hovde 2014
Sometimes my high expectations of myself get in the way of my starting something. I think I have to be able to bike many miles if I’m going to get on my bike at all. Fortunately, I have learned a few things while living with myself these many years. Now, on my first bike ride in the spring, I go to the park and back. The next time I ride, I add another block. And then the next time, another block. This works for me. This summer I celebrated biking again after not being able to bike last summer because of surgery. And I started by going to the park and back.
On a recent morning, I saw an older fellow with a walker coming down the other side of the street. I’d seen him a few times when I was on a previous bike ride. “You cover a lot of ground,” I said. “6 miles is my best distance,” he said. Can you imagine doing 6 miles with a walker?! I was impressed. Wow, talk about starting where you are with what you’ve got!
How about you—where do you start? What works for you?
Inspiring Janet. Maybe there’s a little hope of me trying out biking again after 25 years? Love the idea of cutting back on such high expectations. It’s what I do also expectations are always too high.
Fabulous bike star!!! And you deserve it. Yay you. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we totally did away with judgment – of ourselves and others – and then wherever we were couldn’t be anything other than perfect.
You’ve made me think…..I’ll have to admit, my bike is still hanging from the rafters. Every morning I think today will be the day to get back out there, and yet, it’s not. We moved a few years back to the country where there’s a LOT of wind and hills. I did get out there a couple of times, but it was so incredibly hard to do, that last year, I hung my bike up for the season and that’s where it stayed because of the memories of what happened. Now, maybe I’ll go for a little ride stopping before the hills start. Or riding the easy way and walk the wind side back. I guess there’s something to be said for alittle bit a time. 🙂 Thank you for the good reminders.
Oh Janet, how true about expectations! Great analogy with biking. I stand guilty of being overly enthusiastic about biking myself….and most things. Moderation is so smart, but so far out of reach when I am in the thick of it all!