I went cycling...
I had a cycling accident yesterday, (Memorial Day). I am telling you this, not for sympathy but to make a point. And that point is, know when to push and when to let off the gas. I went on a route I have done thousands of times out to The Whip and back. It’s one of my favorite rides, very calming and peaceful for me. I felt pretty good, even though I have only made it out a few times so far this season. I was on the last mile or so of the ride and really pushing myself to finish strong. It’s the only way we get better, right? Push ourselves at work, push ourselves physically and reach to try things that may be a little beyond us. Failure is inevitable as you grow.
As I got to the last half mile of the route, a few cars passed by me way too close. I kept pushing it, wanting to get a “personal best” on my strava app. What I should have done is slowed down and given myself a wider birth between the edge of the road and the embankment. The last car flew by and I turned toward the edge of the road and my tire caught an edge. Down I went. I spent the day in the ER.
While I was laying there, waiting to be seen by a doctor, I thought about what I should have done differently. The road was busy yesterday, I could have slowed down and been more aware of how close I was to the edge. Now, of course those drivers could certainly have given me a wider birth. Maybe I Ride when fewer cars are on the road, not on a holiday weekend. Today I was considering going to work. And then I realized, I need a day to slow down, take care of myself, ice and begin to heal.
My point is this; know when to take it easy, know when it’s okay to push. Today, I needed to nurse my body. It’s pretty banged up, but I will heal. The same goes with training. Know when to push yourself to the next level and when to back off. Listen to your body and realize you may need v more time to recover than you have in the past. That is okay. The point is to stay healthy and strong as long as we can and enjoy the ride!