Second attempt Day 7

What is it that keeps us from taking the first step and making positive changes in our lives? Fear of the unknown, denial that changes are needed, complacency, addiction, not knowing where to start? Maybe all of the above in my case. 

My love of cycle touring started in 1998 with a ride from Lands End to John O'Groats which I undertook with my best man, just two weeks before I got married. In the early days of touring, due to my inexperience, everything had to be planned to the nth degree and every eventuality had to be catered for. All accommodation was pre-booked and I ended up carrying far too much stuff. I restricted myself to one route, and over-burdened myself with weight along the way, just so all my fears could be allayed. I would say I now cycle with 30% of what I used to carry.

Why? Because shit happens, and when it does I've learnt to worry about it, and deal with it at the time, not waste energy worrying about it before it happens, which it usually never does anyway. I laugh now, but I once even considered carrying viper anti-venom, in case I was bitten in the French mountains, out of reach of people and hospitals. 

I am finding that the experience I have gained over the years cycling in the UK and Europe is now helping me in my quest to beat the booze. The determination and resolve required to complete a long cycle tour, in fact any cycle tour, is not dissimilar to that needed in my quest to remain dry day after day.

This week I completed the 100km Via Verde de Campina, a lovely little, off-road greenway that runs from Cordoba to Marchena via Ecija.  I felt so good at the end of the tour on Friday, I decided to carry on for an extra day and I cycled another 105km to Ronda on Saturday. It's the first tour I've ever completed without a single alcoholic drink along the way.

When you start off on a long journey (bike ride or life change)  especially one you have never embarked upon before, it can be daunting. The destination seems such a long way away. As soon as you take the first step, or pedal, you are in the realms of the total unknown. What will happen next or who (or indeed what) will you meet around the next corner? But I've learnt from experience, the hardest step of all has already been taken. You've actually realised this is something you really need to do, dragged your arse to the starting line and taken the very first step. 


Every journey has to start somewhere. I've completed countless bike tours over the years, but possibly my biggest challenge is the one I have just started. It's day 7 again since having a drink, and the last 7 days were easier than the first 7 days - I'm gaining experience. The setback a week ago is simply an obstacle to overcome along the way, to be expected like a mechanical breakdown of the bike or a puncture. It happens, you get on with it, you find a solution. You learn from it, you grow. 

The comeback is far greater than the setback. 







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Second attempt Day 42

Image
Sierra Nevada stands 2075 meters high. Ben Nevis, in comparison, the best the UK can muster stands a mere 1345 meters in stature. Even Alpe D'Huez, the most famous and most gruelling Tour de France obstacle only boasts 1860 meters - Phoa! 'small fry' I thought!  Getting there would be the highest ride of my cycling life without a doubt - at times during it, it started to feel like my last - but eventually, very eventually, 35km of agonising climbing to be exact,  it was reached, achieved and duly ticked off the bucket list.  The ice-line appeared around 1500 meters up, by 1750 meters it was minus 2 and thick snow was lying on the ground. Fortunately the main roads near the top had been well gritted but still treacherous in places. The  off road, mountain gravel tracks lower down even more dangerous - thank god for the versatility of the recently invented gravel bike - even so, it took well over 3 hours to complete the climb.  A lot of thoughts flash through you...
Read more

Day 2

Image
I don't intend to write a blog post every day, but I think on day 2 it is important to put down my thoughts and feelings for many reasons. Firstly, I am now detoxicated, well rested and feeling much more alive after the weekend's excesses. Therefore, it's natural for me to now reflect on how I feel about starting the blog and putting my issues in the public domain. Do I have any regrets or worries? Absolutely not, the only regret I have is not doing this sooner! If anything it has galvanised me and being able to document the journey is working for me and helping focus my mind on the things I love as well as helping me think about the solutions.  Secondly, as I am at day 2 I have had a chance for my family and friends to read and process my first blog post. I don't think the contents are a surprise to anybody, but I was worried people may not appreciate me airing them publicly. I couldn't have been further from the truth and I have had some very supportive comments f...
Read more

Second attempt Day 1

Image
In the Spanish village where we spend half our life there lives an old Japanese woman. Her name is Yoshi - I do not know if this is her real name,  or a nickname - perhaps even it is a shortened version of her real name,  but everybody in the village knows her well and calls her that.  I have not seen her since the pandemic started, but I am told she is still doing well. The bar that she has owned for over 60 years has not been open for almost two years though, and now has a 'se vende' sign outside. Clearly she's calling it a day after all this time and selling up. Yoshi is as fit as a fiddle, and well into her 80s now. She is still playing a round of golf everyday apparently. She told me once she had set sail from Japan as a teenager in the 1950s in a small yacht with her husband in search of adventure. They sailed from country to country over the course of many years until they arrived in the village where they went no further. They knew they had finally found the place...
Read more