Bike 2:42:48 [3] 36.1 mi (4:31 / mi) +577ft 4:27 / mi
Smiling poo and I learned some valuable lessons during our 36 mile super crappy ride today which can relate to adventure racing and real life situations. You start off with a plan thinking it's going to be easy (a nice smooth ride to the Botanic Gardens, and then to Lake Michigan and back). Then you get knocked down (hit by maintenance guys driving a golf cart in the Botanic Gardens that decided to turn and plow into me without looking), but even though you're hurt (scraped up bloody knee), you have to pull yourself together, get back up, and keep on going. Then you have people that care about you and want to help you (the golf cart guys were really concerned about me), but you also have the people that don't give a crap (the entitled snooty snoots driving their fancy cars who don't move over and almost run you down), who you don't need in your life because they're not genuine people and they will never be there for you. Because you're unsure of the route you're on, you decide to take a new route, which is even scarier (the road I took back was so busy I had multiple heart attacks and had to use the sidewalk). Then as you're almost where you want to be, there are situations trying to hold you back (stop lights, crappy drivers, 25mph headwinds). Before you reach your goal, you have a huge obstacle (ginormous freaking sled hill), and you have the choice to back down, but you know if you back down, you'll be letting yourself down, and you might not end up reaching your goal. With all the effort and strength you have left, you make it over the obstacle (top of the sled hill), you take a deep breath, and can now see the super fun path that's right in front of you (bombing down a super steep sled hill on a mountain bike is badass). Even though your route wasn't what you originally planned, it was tough, people pissed you off, you got hurt, you went through some crap(a nearby farm smelled so bad it was like poop in my mouth), but you eventually made it to where you want to be, you're happy, and you can say it was all worth it! (I think I deserve a beer!)
