Change the World Today

So I've been putting off this workout. I've been moving it back, day by day, because I've been scared of how hard it is. That's how hard it is.

It all started last Saturday after a race, when I was talking to my (pro racer) friend Kirk about a a weakness of mine. Kirk's solution was simple; ride bigger gears on harder hills. He suggested riding Joslin Road, a veritable wall of pavement, with the biggest gears I could handle.

In short, pure muscle.

Fighting my way up this hill, I began to realize that Kirk's wisdom had more merit than it's simplicity suggested; perhaps he wasn't only telling me how to make my body stronger, but that I need to struggle harder.

The first lesson I learned was about doubt; on a hill that steep, going that slow, if you doubt yourself for one second you fall over and have to go back down the hill to start over again. That's not a desirable outcome, especially if you apply it to life. So I conquered doubt with necessity, but I found my true desire being tested.

True desire is you, trying to be the best you can be. The realm of true desire is where you're in pain, but you don't care about anything anymore. You're merely going fast because it's what you're doing at the moment, and nothing else matters. You're not taking things as they come, like you would just struggling up the hill once because you have to, you're seeing how good you can be by trying to go faster than you can go, and be better than you are. You know you're either two steps ahead of the game, or falling behind. That's how I want to live.

I did it three times.

Score one for simple wisdom.