Of inspiration and a good kick in the pants
Sometimes, you just need to be shoved, kicking and whining, to realize that you can do something. Suddenly, after a feat of profound "why the hell did I get myself into this", I find that my personal bar has been raised.
This has happened more than once, although, if I look back on my life, it's been happening since childhood. I just never got it until now.
Last weekend, I was coerced into taking a bike ride with a 77 year old friend. I didn't realize that his idea of a nice little ride was 55 miles long. Yes, fifty-five miles.
He was waiting up for me for most of the ride. I had to walk the last few hills, and I got home to collapse into a little ball of ouch.
Prior to that ride, the idea of taking my bike 15 miles was something ambitious. I would work up to such a ride, and hope to do a long ride like that (ahem 15 miles) by the end of the summer.
So, today, I took my bike 15 miles and didn't even think about it. After surviving 55, a mere 15 was a warm-up. Funny how that works.
Running did the same thing for me. A friend hauled my sorry bum 5 miles, with me whining the entire way. Eventually, that one run inspired me to do a half-marathon.
By the way, this is not the first time that a septuagenarian has kicked my butt... I have a lady friend who, at a whopping 105 pounds, could out bench-press me in the gym. But that is another story.
For now, I just like to thank folks who push you to do more. We are rather amazing when we put our minds to it, but sometimes, we just need that little kick in the pants to realize it.
This has happened more than once, although, if I look back on my life, it's been happening since childhood. I just never got it until now.
Last weekend, I was coerced into taking a bike ride with a 77 year old friend. I didn't realize that his idea of a nice little ride was 55 miles long. Yes, fifty-five miles.
He was waiting up for me for most of the ride. I had to walk the last few hills, and I got home to collapse into a little ball of ouch.
Prior to that ride, the idea of taking my bike 15 miles was something ambitious. I would work up to such a ride, and hope to do a long ride like that (ahem 15 miles) by the end of the summer.
So, today, I took my bike 15 miles and didn't even think about it. After surviving 55, a mere 15 was a warm-up. Funny how that works.
Running did the same thing for me. A friend hauled my sorry bum 5 miles, with me whining the entire way. Eventually, that one run inspired me to do a half-marathon.
By the way, this is not the first time that a septuagenarian has kicked my butt... I have a lady friend who, at a whopping 105 pounds, could out bench-press me in the gym. But that is another story.
For now, I just like to thank folks who push you to do more. We are rather amazing when we put our minds to it, but sometimes, we just need that little kick in the pants to realize it.