Riding again ....still

Well the bicycles are back home from Bicycle Bob's in Portsmouth, NH. We are back in the normal swing of things. Bern and I are riding 4 days a week; comprised of two shorter rides on Monday and Wednesday's (20 miles) and two longer rides on Friday and Saturday (40+ miles).

The conditioning from the trip is still very evident as the hills here seem effortless and when we want to we can pick up the pace and the heart rate is harder to get elevated.

It was told to us at the preliminary meeting in Astoria that the ride we were about to embark on would change us in some way. I wondered if that were true.... then-- I do not wonder any more.

This may sound trite but being able to dream.... desire .... lay groundwork.... prepare and execute an undertaking of this magnitude does change you. Not because I am all that but because it changes perspective on nearly all that you look at.

I see things differently now... I know that things that most people would see as difficult or impossible are in all likelyhood not that hard and certainly doable.

I find it amusing that one of the common questions is, "Have you recovered yet?"
The ride was tiring at times for sure but it was not draining it was invigorating. The further east we pedaled the stronger we got physically and the realization mentally that all I had prepared for and thought about for so long was coming to pass and that was totally invigorating.

Now if you are reading this and are a Christian I am not trying to imply I did any of this without God's hand mightily guiding, enabling, blessing, even challenging me along the way. The saftey, the incredible weather, the vast scenery, the awesome poeple were all from the hand of God to me and for that I give Him thanks.

As I returned to my practice and seeing clients I realized I really love my vocation in life. It was not difficult to come back to something you love. It is different to a degree... little things do not rattle me near as easy because I can do BIG things HARD things, things that make other people shake their head and think that I am crazy. Little things like a headwind or a mountain or endless hours of cornfields did not faze me nor shall these little things.