The wind was gusting Sunday morning, but the sun was out, the temperature already near 70 and the streets were empty; I always get a kick seeing a 6 lane street devoid of cars in the early morning; a bicyclist's delight. However, I struck out for points east of Springfield letting the roads I encountered dictate which way I went. All I knew was that I had to be at the soccer fields by 11:00, a little less than four hours away.
Very quickly, I found myself on some very rural feeling roads and I thought a lot about Keith who had participated in the 8,000 in 80 ride on Saturday. I was saddened to see in facebook the day before that he wasn't able to make it. Keith had expressed concern to me on the Van Buren ride about his ability to tackle the ride but I just assumed it was idle talk, the kind of apprehensions we all have before a big event. I knew he had accomplished an amazing array of bicycling goals this past year and so I had no doubt that he would be able to accomplish this goal. In the end, it turned out to be a breathing issue, not a muscle or fatigue problem. But, his not reaching that goal had me thinking a lot about goals or prizes this Sunday morning.
Amidst all of this thinking, I was also enjoying a very pleasant morning of riding with lots of ups and downs on the rolling hills around Springfield. There was one really nice flat stretch along the St. James River which had the feel of being far removed from any nearby city and developments.
So, I'm thinking about benchmarks and how arbitrary the numbers are. I have set a goal of 10,000 miles when it could just as easily be 8,567 miles. And, I'm thinking about the journey and the process and that that is really much more important than the goal. Of course, now that I set 10,000 miles as a goal, it would be very disappointing for me if I did not reach it.
We do seem to be very goal driven and I'm wondering if that harks back to our good ol' hunting days. The goal was VERY important. Come back empty handed and the village could face starvation. "No, we didn't catch a deer but we had a nice hike through the woods and experienced some lovely sights," just wouldn't cut it when they got back to camp. But, I have to believe that the journey was an important part of their hunt and that the two were intrinsically intertwined.
I know for me, if I set my eyes on just the 10,000 miles, the goal becomes completely empty. It is when I make sure to stop and focus on the journey as well that the goal has meaning. (I know during my ride Sunday, I elaborated on those thoughts more deeply but they are escaping me now and the editor is leaning over my shoulder.)
On the ride, I came across this interesting house.
Front and top view
Bottom and rear view
And, on the way back, this is the same barn as the first photo. However, the road in front is a VERY steep incline so I just zipped right past this view on the way down.
A very good ride in Springfield with lots of bike trails. I used to think of the town as not the best for bike riding through because of all the big main arteries. But, I discovered very well marked bike routes through quiet residential streets that guided me from one part of the city to another and it was really quite an enjoyable ride.
13 November Ride: 3hrs 24mins. 38.02 miles. 70s. Windy. Miles YTD: 8,848.93
Number of miles per day needed to reach 10,000 miles by the end of the year: 23.98
Donations for Biking for Food, which support the Community Meals at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, AR, can be sent to: Biking for Food, St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 224 N. East Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72701
Or, make a pledge per bike miles ridden at www.stpaulsfay.org/bikingforfood.html.
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To see postings before 15 August 2011, please go to www.mylifeasabike2.blogspot.com
To see postings before 11 June 2011, please go to www.mylifeasabike.blogspot.com
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