I love my bike. Actually I don’t think love adequately describes the relationship we have and it’s not even just this bike, it’s the love I have for having a bike in my life. I have owned many bicycles, and although I have had unique relationships with each one, the overarching relationship is the same. My bike is my wheels, yes I own a car for those rainy west coast days, but the joy I get from driving a car is mediocre, that zing is just not there, not like it is with the bike. When I am on a bike time and space seem to merge into one and then disappear. It’s where I am free and life no longer exists. All that is there is me, the bike and nature. After the first 10 minutes of warming up and getting into the motion, my body relaxes into the discomfort and it becomes meditative. I see the world more clearly. It is there I feel joy, freedom, accomplishment, contentment and complete peace. It is also the place I have learned what persistence is and pushing through discomfort. It is on my bike I am learning how to ride through life.

I have never actually given up while on a ride. There have been many moments I have wanted to. There have been times I have been crying while riding up a hills. There have been times I have gotten off my bike, stomped around a bit, yelled at it, gave it the finger and then after a few minutes picked the stupid thing back up and kept riding. I have never given up. I have pushed my limits on my bike; going places and distances I worried I wouldn’t get back from because they were “too far” or there was the potential to get lost. I never gave up. I always carry cash, my ID, my phone, a credit card and of course my repair kit just in case; there have been so many times I could have called a cab or hopped on a bus to get home. And yet for some sick reason I kept persisting. Hungry, tired, in a pain, angry, lost…..I persisted. On my bike I have some sort of deep level spiritual commitment where quitting just isn’t a choice; this isn’t just when I’m using my wheels to go meet a friend for a coffee and I have a commitment to follow through on, this is also on a Saturday when I am bored and have nothing better to do.

As I am pushing through multiple areas of personal growth I have been thinking a lot about my level of commitment to discomfort when I am riding. No matter what I push through, giving up because “it’s too hard” is never an option, but when I am faced with personal growth in relationships or situations I deem “too hard” or “too uncomfortable” I give up. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, wondering why I give up, am I really that weak; can I not commit to anything! This Saturday while biking an uncomfortably long distance with loaded panniers to meet a friend for lunch I once again felt the feeling of wanting to give up. At kilometre 20 I wanted to stop; 6 km short of my destination I wanted to stop, yet I had made a commitment to a valued friend and no matter what I would be there. So I slowed down, took a few breaks, drank water and adjusted my positioning when I had to and sure enough arrived in one piece on time. No, I can in fact commit to a lot of things and it’s all about mind set.

I have realized pushing through discomforts can be hard and take a lot of effort. But with the right mind set it can be a great adventure, it doesn’t have to be a painful and arduous trip you are dragged on kicking and screaming. I also realized that it’s ok to slow down, readjust, take a breather and drink some water. It doesn’t mean I’m quitting or not committed to pushing through but instead I am prepping myself for the adventure ahead. It is here I have had the “ah ha moment,” what if I faced personal growth like I do my adventurous bike rides? Life could be pretty beautiful….and could you imagine the stories….oh the stories!