Goal: Bicycle to work

After working with my swim coach today I saw he had a bicycle in his office. "Is that yours?" I asked. "Yeah, I brought it in for my assistant coach to ride to work; he doesn't have a car." I said that's great and remarked about how many hills we have in this area. "It's not bad," said the assistant coach (who's name I've forgotten). My coach then reminded me that he's ridden into work before, and his commute is fairly long. "One goal I have is to ride into work sometime," I said. My commute is only 3 or 4 miles but there are a couple hills that I would have to climb. Hills are evil things. I like going fast--in the pool, while running, and on my bike. When I have to shift into low gear to climb a hill on my bike, I'm going under 10 mph and my pedalling rate (what's the name of that?) goes way up. It's embarrassing to be pedaling so hard and not be going anywhere. I also get way out of breath and that's never been a comfortable thing for me, a former asthmatic.

I explained to these two swim coaches that I'd find the hills between my home and my workplace quite a challenge. Then I blew my cover and bragged that I rode 50 miles last Saturday on a flat trail (former railroad bed) nearby. My coach laughed loudly and said "Well then biking to work should be nothing!"

And he's right.

I have to be constantly reminded to stop saying "I can't," and to face potential physical adversities straight on without fear. A year ago I said "I've never been a swimmer," and then I tried. Last month I said "I've never run in a 5K race," and then I did. Last week I said "I've never travelled 50 miles on a bicycle in one day." And then I did. So what a stupid thing to think, that riding up and down a couple hills between my home and work would be some insurmountable task. I can definitely do it. (Come to think of it, I actually have done it. I did it once in 2007 soon after I moved to my current workplace. I guess it was so hard and terrible that I forgot that I ever did it...and of course in 2007 I wasn't as athletic as I am now)

So while the fall weather is still conducive to cycling, I state, here and now, that one day next week I will ride my bike into work. I can do it. And it will feel incredibly awesome to do it. It will be yet another wall to knock down on my way to feeling more and more confident and strong.