About 10 days back, one of my friends casually (actually strongly) suggested that I ought to do a bike ride with them for their planned Seattle to Portland (aka STP) ride. Every possible excuse came out of my mouth: “oh no, I cannot. I do not have the time. I am not ready. Too Tough. …”. He persisted. Later when talking with my wife, she encouraged me to give it a try. What is the harm – well as long as I do not injure myself, life is good.
Before leaving, my friend planted this thought: why not try biking for 20 miles first. I slept with the idea in my mind. I recalled the story of The little engine that could. Many of us have come through various hardships and often we face challenges in our lives. The little engine is a paragon of optimism and hard work. The story is inspirational!
Next morning when I woke up, I decided to give it a try. After many months of idling the bike, I picked it up the next morning and went for a ride. I completed 6.3 miles in 50 minutes with about 500 feet elevation gain. That was a good start.
And three days later, I decided to do a longer route – depart from home, take the Sammamish River Trail, Burke Gilman Trail, and then get back home (with a bit of bus ride on the way back). To my surprise I made it. I biked about 34 miles that day taking 3 hours and 15 minutes. Now I am feeling enthused even more. Perhaps the little engine – me – can do it.
This week I completed another small one at 7 miles followed with another long one at 38 miles. Now I am feeling ready. I even went to the Home Depot to get degreaser and chain lube. I cleaned the bike chains. I feel great. So what do I do next? I register for a longer ride.
Red-Bell 100 mile is actually a 104 mile ride up north from Redmond, WA to Bellingham, WA. I am going to give it a try on Saturday – June 25th. It will be the longest bike ride in my life. I had done 10 hours of hiking trips in the North Cascades, Mt. Rainier and Olympic mountain areas. Yes, those hiking trips happened years back. It is never the same when you try something new. Well, again the little engine will inspire me to give it a try.
Three things I am advised about:
- Drink lot of water.
- Rest when you can on the trip.
- Give your best.
I am going to try! With support from the weather, health, family, and friends, I might finish it.
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