It’s wonderful having a paid off car. Thankful to be in a position where I’m able to to this.
What I learned from biking 50 miles in a day
On October 10, 2015 I attended the NTI Bicycle Rally in Trophy Club, TX. It was a 50 mile ride through some amazing scenic routes, up and down hills, with the benefit of a mobilized support team. Last year I did 25 miles and had a blast. Some of my thoughts after the fact.
- Mind Over Matter - So often in life, I hear people say all the reasons why they can't do something. I'm too <fill in the blank>, I can't <fill in the blank>. With practice and preparation, many of these seemingly insurmountable obstacles become little more than a temporary setback.
- Comparison to others - I had a vision of the typical biker, someone with 5% body fat, who can run twice as fast as I can and has a bike completely made of carbon fiber. In fact, I saw guys and gals who were carrying a lot more than me, giving it their all up steep hills and never giving up. As for bikes, I saw some vintage ones and even mountain bikes! Anyone familiar with biking knows that road bikes are lighter weight and have way way lower rolling resistance.
- Fuel - Biking is a physically demanding activity. Without the right fuel your body won't operate at peak efficiency. Lots of carbs, lots of water, I mixed a raspberry ketone / amino acid powder to give me just a little extra boost.
- Importance of breaks - The human body has limits. When you drink that much a restroom is handy. Also a couple minutes to get your heartrate down to normal and let muscles cool down is critical. Without it halfway through the ride I'd be ready to quit.
- Padding - Two items, padded shorts and a padded seat. Don't try to look cute with that narrow racing seat. If you're a muscular guy like me the stock seat will cause back pain after an hour.
- Water - Drink it before the event, during the event and after the event. Just don't drink it after an hour before you start. You will regret it. Our bodies are 65% water, dehydration in these events is a recipe for disaster.
- Racing - I attended a rally, not a race. My personal goal was to finish as quickly as possible within my own limits. I missed a sign and took a 15 minute detour, but realized my error, turned around and got back to where I needed to be. I now look back and laugh about it, but at the moment a little bit of disappointment set in.
Last but not least, live with passion and gratitude. Push to be better. Ride for life.
Life and Learning - A Look Back
"Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!" - Tony Robbins
In 2003 during my the welcome ceremony at my alma mater SUNY Farmingdale, one of the faculty members quoted the late John Lennon. "Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans". I couldn't agree with the statement more. Little did I know that I'd lose a parent, switch careers two years later, make the decision to go to graduate school, start making new long lasting friendships.
There is something to be said for working not only harder, but smarter too. Learning from the experiences of others and using that wisdom to avoid the pitfalls they experienced. Tai Lopez (also known as the Lamborghini guy with the books) talks about mentoring and Tony talks about modeling. Either way, we are living in an age where information is readily available to the masses. In most developed countries, even individuals at the poverty line have access to resources that the most prominent titans of industry could only dream of.
Life is precious. Use it to make a difference. Be a good listener, but also don't be afraid to go to the beat of your own drum once in a while. Strong individual create strong teams which gives an organization a competitive edge, its people. Embrace the present, learn from the past and always have some type of plan in place. Without planning and constantly making yourself better, stagnation is almost inevitable.
Reading is very underrated by society, but crucial to developing new skills beyond one's own experience. I personally try to read some type of non-fiction daily. Building knowledge is an investment in one's self and just like financial investments, the longer you keep at it the more return you get back.
Never give up, be optimistic, wise and don't sweat the small stuff in life.