Choosing to Rationalize Over Emotionalize
Have you ever let frustration or anger dictate your decisions—only to end up feeling worse? I have, and it reminds me there’s room for growth in how I respond.
Have you ever let frustration or anger dictate your decisions—only to end up feeling worse? I have, and it reminds me there’s room for growth in how I respond.
We set out to ride an imperial century—100 miles, at the Huffman Classic in Brookville, Ohio. Last year, this event marked our first metric century, and now Alex and I were determined to go farther. But as I prepared that morning, I felt a hint of doubt. My longest ride this year hadn’t even reached 50 miles. I had experience (having ridden a century last September), and the route was relatively flat, but I still felt challenged by the distance. And so began Not Quite A Century: The Ride That Was and Wasn’t.
There’s something exciting about the first official ride of the season—the anticipation, the challenge, and the journey ahead, including the road to growth on two wheels. The Spring Opener marked the official start of my local cycling club's riding season. With route options ranging from 20 to 46 miles, we chose the longest distance to build endurance and prepare for an upcoming century ride.
"No." is a complete sentence. It is short and simple but not easy to say when you're a people pleaser. I've always cared more than I should about what others think, so I shocked myself when I said "No" to someone at the gym.
Sometimes, I have to remember to give myself props for my progress since learning to ride a bicycle two years ago. I went from a recreational and casual rider who used to think 10 miles was far to riding with a slightly faster group and completing my first metric century.