Strength

I am going to be embarking on my bike ride to work in a few moments.  It seems a little humid out, but not too terrible.  This should be a good ride. 

I bought my Trek mountain bike a few years ago and I never really got into riding it that much until I started taking it off road.  There is an awesome trail network for bikes in Jacobsburg State Park in Wind Gap.  Something like 30 miles of trail all together.  Lots of rocks, some rough terrain, even a couple stream crossings that make the rides there amazing.  I have always been fond of spending time out in the woods so this was the perfect biking experience for me. 

Once my license was suspended, I began biking to work regularly, but I always hated it.  The long hills would really kick my ass, if it was raining I was bound to skip the ride and just drive anyway.  Eventually I just drove all the time anyway and the bike was once again reserved for trail riding only.  Well once my car was out of commission for good, and I have know taken the suspension seriously, I bike on a regular basis to work.  Only now I enjoy the rides.  On some days I push myself to a fast pace and try and beat my record time.  Other days are more leisurely but I have it down to a solid 40 minutes even on an easy ride.

The hills that used to kick my ass, I now breeze through.  Its still rough but I never struggle through them.  The biggest difference, besides my new dedication to biking, is my attitude.  When I get to a hill, I welcome the challenge, I tell myself "here we go, bet I can finish it before this song ends."  In the past I would dread the hills, tell my self something along the lines of "this blows, fuck my life" and big surprise, it was much harder biking.  Having that determination that you cannot be stopped, that you will overcome and obstacle in your path is such an important tool to have in life.  That is the kind of mental toughness that you hear athletes talk about.  Strength is not just physical.  Determination, Drive, Resilience, Courage, Loyalty, these are all strengths of character that have nothing to do with your physical attributes, and in the end they mean so much more than how many reps or how much weight you can press.  This is how I measure strength now... And I am feeling stronger than ever.  How about you?