2014 New Year’s Day morning.
Today’s bikeride was a hard slog. Para akong nag spin class. I pedaled hard on a higher gear to increase resistance, and I went faster. At some stage, I took the lead from Ariel. I felt my heart rate go up as the cool wind whipped around my face. No one was about this New Year’s Day morning, only crazies like us. It was actually freeing to go fast. And I could feel my legs getting a good workout. Will it make my legs stronger? This is exactly what I need to prepare for The Half in May. Ha. My “logs” will be even thicker then. It was oh-so-quiet at 8am around the streets and bike trails of suburbia. I started thinking about breakfast, “Will I have time to make pancakes, perhaps bacon and eggs on toast will do”. Then I consciously ceased that thought. Instead I went
Uphill. Downhill. In biking downhill, one must always be breaking else there is a tendency to fly….and skid….or flip over.
“There are no heroes”, Ariel said referring to riding.
I was not really using my brain while I did that non-maneuver onto a post, seven days ago. I thought that I was running… wherein I switch off a lot. Riding is different. In riding, one must be fully awake and aware 100% of the time! Else accidents will happen. Ahhhhh. That means if I want to shutdown, biking is not the answer.
However, honing all my senses to my surrounds is a kind of tuning out, isn’t it? When I bike, there is no room to think about work or what’s for dinner or that blog I want to post tonight….One has to focus in the moment.
In summary, this was what I learned on the first day of 2014.
When running, shutting down is OK. In fact, this is the goal. To get into a trance. What I like to call ~ moving meditation. Emptying of the mind.
When biking, shutting down is NOT OK. Daydreaming is not allowed either. It’s all about focus. Focusing on where I am and where I am going. Being one with the moment.
There is a massive difference.
The End. If you missed Part 1, click here.
Thank you for reading, always!