I love metaphors! Ive loved them since before I even knew what a metaphor was, if that makes sense! I think that we can find metaphors so easily in every day life and our mind can then use them in loads of different ways, there is no limit to their power and then more abstract they are, the more ways our mind will find to use them. I'm never more intrigued by them than when I'm out cycling; and I felt so inspired after my ride today that I wanted to write about it and share my thoughts on how a really simple bike ride on a beautiful day can throw up so many things. Even though these points are cycling related, they can just as effectively be applied to everyday life. I hope they are helpful :)
- Your enjoyment of the ride (life) does not need to be dependent on the weather conditions.
- Have an idea of your route but be prepared to be flexible, as long as you get to where you want to be, the way you get there isn't really too important.
- It may feel like you will be safer going slowly with one foot dragging on the ground but believe me you will have a much safer ride if you get both feet in the pedals and get some speed up, you will find it much easier to balance.
- Make sure you're prepared for the journey you're going to take: that your bike is safe and you are wearing the right kind of clothing for the weather conditions.
- When you feel like the traffic is bearing down on you and you cant get your feet clipped into the cleats, stop looking down and focusing on them, just look ahead and let your instinct guide you. You will find that they easily click in then.
- When you're struggling to get up a big hill and are feeling like its never ending, remind yourself that there is going to be a hill to come down at some point which will make all this hard work seem worth it.
- Sometimes when your legs are spinning fast and the ride feels easy but you don't feel like you're getting anywhere, its time to crank the gears up a bit to ensure you are getting somewhere.
- At others, when your legs are aching and the going seems tough, its fine to drop down a gear and make progress more slowly.
- Sometimes, what seems like a shorter route can be harder work with bigger hills and roads that aren't as safe.
- When you get to a junction, If you've checked the coast is clear, get your best foot forward and get going, otherwise by the time you've looked right and left again, there might be something coming.
- Commit to the ride, be present with it and you will enjoy it so much more.
- Its fine to just go slowly, you will see and hear beautiful things that you wouldn't if you were going lickety split.
- Breathe deeply from your belly and relax your shoulders away from your ears, what you're doing will feel easier and your performance will be much much better.
- If you see other people, cyclists or pedestrians, smile at them. That smile may changed that person's day, or even their life.
- Even though you know you're riding safely, you can be in danger because someone is about to pull out into the oncoming traffic and they wont see you because you aren't a car. Keep your wits about you.
- When you're riding fast downhill and feeling euphoric, the wind can get in your eyes and make it difficult to see. You need to focus to stay safe.
- You don't have any influence on what the other traffic is doing, just trouble your head with your own business.
- Trust your intuition, it will always look out for you if you tune into it, to do this you need to silence the chatter in your head.
- The long rides will take their toll on your backside, make sure you have your padded shorts on :-)
- If you fall off, as I have done the last 2 weeks in a row, it doesnt mean you are a failure or incompetent, nor does it mean the whole ride is a dead loss. Just learn whatever you need to about what caused you to fall off, and then get back on again.
