This person experienced 11 hour days of peddling, multiple blow outs, strong head winds, rolling mountains, rubbing brakes, and more. This person slept in a tent on cement grounds on top of a yoga mat and woke up at 5am to pack up the tent and get back on the bike.
This person then hopped directly on a red-eye flight to Chicago to go on tour with Colbie Caillat in support of Sheryl Crow and Lilith Fair for a job that I created as JOYOLOGIST. This person has been blown away with inspiration from so many people since I left Los Angeles on June 5th with my 2-wheeled friend.
I knew that I could do it. I knew that my old road bike and my un-trained self may not be the fastest, but I knew that we would make it. I said that I would be fine to fly straight to a new tour after riding a bike for a week solid, I believed it, and I was.
Was it hard? Was I tired? Yea, sure, but what is hard? What is tired? It is all subjective, right? That ride was really hard, it was, but it was also just a casual bike ride that happen to last 7 days long. Was I tired? I must have been because I slept so hard when I got to the tour bus, but if I know that I have to keep going and I want to keep going then I can.
It is all an adventure. It is all what we make it.
So now I am home, back to my bicycle as my transportation after being carted around by tourbus, car service, venue runners, hotel vehicles, and taxicabs. I was a bit hesitant to get on my bike, or better wording is, I was a bit lazy to get back on my bike, but it is how I get around so it was inevitable.
People use the expression, “it’s just like riding a bike,” once you know how, you always will without thinking about it, right? I definitely felt that but in such a powerful way. The way that I ride that bike now feels so different. We are one. We are connected. I am a motor vehicle.
One of my favorite memories of Aids Life Cycle is riding south on the 101 freeway from Lompoc. There was a huge descent after climbing to 1300 ft. elevation it dropped back to zero in less than 5 miles and we were riding on a main highway single file outside of the white lines with major traffic. It was scary, but in the most enlivening way possible for me. I felt at home there passing fellow cyclists with cars and semi-trucks whipping past me. It was powerful. I am powerful. We are powerful.
I am my own vehicle.
I decided to be my own vehicle yesterday after spending the weekend (dwelling) on my couch. What was I dwelling about? Does it matter? I didn't even go to yoga Saturday or chuch on Sunday. Then I overate. Bleeurgh... I know better.
ReplyDeleteSo I read this post and wondered "Could I ride to the grocery store and back? Do I really need Evelyn the Oldsmobile to take me everywhere?" I live in the country so riding 22 miles each way to work isn't exactly feasible. But the local grocery store is only about 4 miles away. Of course, my new goal was met with my husband's typical negative to ambivelant reaction, "That's a long way. Are you sure that you want to try it?" Seriously?! Four miles?! A breeze for you after your recent excursion but I'm at 243 lbs down from 295. And sometimes I let my old mentality keep me from taking important steps toward my current goals.
So, I made it. Easily actually. For the first half mile I struggled. I knew why. My tire pressure was low. When I got to the local air pump, they were at 29 psi. My tires say they should be 40-65 psi. Once they were aired up, it was a breeze. And I believe I survived the low tires because of my yoga instructors' love of Warrior I and II. Bless their hearts!
So I'll keep trying new things. There is more out there than what I've been doing for the last 37 years. Have a good week!
Jenn! I love this! You can do anything! Remember you get to go at your own pace, its not a race, so take up a ride and have fun and enjoy it! You are inspiring. This made me smile so big!
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