Around the Bay in A Day - Success or Failure?

The mind is a strange thing. Its taken me over a week to figure out how I feel about completing 'The Bay' and I'm still not sure I know.

On one hand I feel very disapppointed with myself. I had vision of setting a cracking pace over the whole course, and triumphantly crossing the finish line feeling like a true endurance athlete. Instead I completed the course at a slow 22kph with a couple of rest stops along the way.

I also wanted to show my family how strong I am now. This didn't happen - it seems I'm not strong yet and there is still a lot to do before I can claim to be either strong, or an endurance athlete.

On the other hand, I feel quite pleased to have finished the 210kms - my longest ride to date. I'm also pleased I did it with an endurance mindset of being persistant, patient and within my plan. I finished the day with a lot of energy, and I was nowhere near exhausted which I guess means I could have gone harder and finished with a faster average. My average heart rate for the day was 122bpm so I rode it well within my target aerobic zone.

I'm pleased about the great memories of the day, and of the pleasure of riding with Dr BiL. I found out he is patient, helpful, genuine and good company. I also disovered he is one hell of a cyclist, with the aerobic ability to maintain a high cadence for hours on end.

I learnt to ride in cold, wet and windy conditions. The wind gusts from the side were hairy, the head winds were tough, and the cold stinging rain was uncomfortable and a little scary at times. But I survived and I now have the pleasure of knowing the ride was not easy.

I enjoyed the experience of hundreds of riders getting on and off a ferry, and the joy of a chicken and salad sandwich after a few hours of hard exercise. I enjoyed the views of historic Queenscliff, the quick ride from Geelong to Little River, the awesome views and fast descent of the Westgate Bridge and the frustrating stop/start of the ride into Melbourne through endless red traffic lights.

Lastly, I enjoyed the congratulations and the fun of sharing the result with all my friends.

So the mind is a funny thing. Should I feel dissappointed I didn't live up to a vague dream, or just enjoy the pleasure of reality?

Obviously the later, especially when #10 of my Training Philosophy (see Sidebar of this blog) is to always focus on my own efforts, and not compete with what others think or do.

But the mind is a strange thing, and my mind seems to be able to find creative ways to dissappoint myself.

That, in itself, is an important lesson from the day.

More later, journey on
James


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