The calendar says 2009 ends this week. So does a decade. Click off 1 + 10. Tradition holds that many of us will spend time looking back. You know. Trying to make sense of what happened. Others will pull out imaginary crystal balls to predict the future. We’ll set resolutions on how we’ll live differently. It’s what we do as humans. Taking inventory of life, goals, accomplishments and failures is instructive. It’s an “exercise” similar to a hard training regimen. Pain is inevitable. But it can teach us if we’re honest and willing to learn. The payoffs can be many. Open your mind, you can change your thinking — or your body. The joy of reaching a summit that once looked impossible can be sweeter than ever imagined. If you fail to reach the goal, stay at it. Work toward it. Figure out how to get there.
This, for me, is the essence of riding a bike. It’s pure. Feedback is real. Benchmarks are self-imposed. And roads? There are more roads than we’ll ever be able to ride, each with its own unique set of challenges. What are you waiting for?
Carpe diem.
Final 2009 ride stats: 7,327 miles / 524,034 feet of elevation gain
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