I set out a goal this summer to bike 40 miles. Why 40 miles? I have no idea. It just seemed like an attainable, but never achieved goal. So I went with it. I've been biking all season with the thought of the 40 mile ride in the back of my mind. It was happening, I was determined to make it happen. I just didn't know when.
I biked a few times each week. Never really following any type of plan. Just going for whatever milage I desired. Ten, fifteen, sometimes twenty. I typically made Friday's my long biking days because I have off of work but wasn't very strict with it. I wanted it to be a fun and stress free adventure towards my goal.
A week ago I planned to make it happen. It was a cloudy morning but the forecast was looking really great. I just got back from teaching yoga and was getting ready to make a quick breakfast before heading out. As I was making breakfast it started to rain. Not just a little drizzle, this was a full on thunderstorm.
Plans cancelled.
I was kind of upset because I had my mind set on getting out and getting it done. But I knew that I had the next week available, too. So, I waited. The next Friday rolled around and I knew that it was the day. Checking the forecast I saw, once again, that it was supposed to be nice out even though the morning was quite cloudy. I came home from yoga, made a quick breakfast, and headed out.
I honestly wasn't looking forward to the ride. My legs were still a little sore from a leg workout I did a few days ago and I was just having a really difficult week in general. But I knew that I couldn't count on motivation to make this happen. I had to count on myself and my will to achieve the goal. And that's what I did.
Headphones in and podcasts playing, I pedaled. The first hour was tough because I wasn't fully "into it" yet and I'd be lying if I said that I didn't think about quitting. I totally did. But, that's okay because I kept going.
It was cloudy almost the whole ride and the temperature was perfect. After a while I got into the zone and just went. Easy. Effortless. But, at the same time not really. Your heart rate is up and the blood is pumping through your veins but you're still calm. It's a weird thing, the way that you can get so focused on something as simple as riding a bike down the road for a few hours. It gives you this sense of peace and clarity.
I got in my 40 miles in 3 hours and 45 minutes. I have no idea if that's a "good" time or not. And the time really doesn't matter. But I want to put it out there to remember and be able to collect with future rides that I end up sharing in this space.
I'm excited about it. It's something that I never would have imagined doing a few years ago. But here I am. A small victory in my little corner of the world today that I'm proud of.
And I've been thinking about what the point is in sharing this. I've come to this conclusion; setting goals and sharing victories in your life doesn't necessarily mean that you're bragging about it. It could mean many things. You could be proud, excited, motivated, or just inspired to share your experience with the world. If you do something that you feel like you want/need to share, do it. Stand tall, smile big, and put it out there.
Do you have any goals that you've set and achieved? Let me know!