Every time you fall down, you are provided with an opportunity to get back up

"Every time you fall down, you are provided with an opportunity to get back up"  ~ Unknown.

Or like the Chinese proverb, fall down seven times, get back up eight.

I would just like to add the word stronger to the end. :o)  I know it's really a duh statement, but it really resonated with me.  While this past year I have soared professionally,  personally I have definitely fallen down. Now that I am taking stock and thinking more ME and who I am today vs. who I want to be. I am trying to figure out the best way to pick myself back up.

I took on step on Sunday, which actually ended up being quite the humbling experience thus far.  Here is way happened. It actually started two weeks ago when I purchased the flower bike.  I was dying to ride her.  But, it was snowing...and I was pouty.  I was talking to a bunch of friends (okay, pouting to them) and one of them said, "Hey! It's supposed to be sunny next weekend, why don't we all go for a ride then?!".  Perfect!! I could hardly wait!

So it was decided.  The group I was riding with has been riding all summer, and was planning a leisurely 20 mile ride.  Something to think about is that I have not really been on a ride longer than 6 or 7 miles for almost a year (wow, typing that out makes me kinda sad).   But!! Last year when I was riding a 20 mile ride on the greenways and around town was a piece of cake.  So really, how hard could it be really? I mean yes, it's going to be tough, but I can totally do it.  Plus, I will be doing it on my new bike...who I am dying to spend time with so it will be awesome! Yep......

The day of the ride, my friend was right and it was beautiful, the high that day was in the 60 and the perfect riding weather...with the exception of one thing.  WIND...and lots of it! But, I was committed and just ignored the wind and headed out to our meeting spot.  Wow...as I was riding down the road the first thing I noticed was the big knobby tires.  Which none of my other bikes have.  They were loud going down the road, whoop, whoop, whoop.  I sounded like a monster truck going down the road. Cool! Then I noticed how heavy the bike was. It felt solid for sure. I liked the feeling. I felt totally secure on the bike.  But, the wind...was hard to ignore.  It was blowing east and I was headed west right into.  By the time we got to our meeting spot, I was pooped. I was half thinking about turning around and heading home, pretending mechanical difficulties had gotten the best of me.  But, since this ride was in my honor, or mostly in my honor...I had to buck up and soldier on.

When I got there I had plenty of time to rest and talk to my arriving friends.  They all appropriately oooed and aweeed at the bike, which was nice. :o)  And then....we were off. I swear the wind was getting worse. Oh well...I'll have people to talk to and this group rides slow...I rode with them last year and it was painful to ride so slow.  I can do this.

Pretty much a half mile into the ride I could no longer see the group ahead of me and there was one (super nice person) who had stayed behind to ride with me and keep me company. Wow, how did that happen?!  Then, she finally said it.  Um, do you mind if I catch up with the group? I don't want to leave you behind.....but they are so far ahead of us.  I smiled and said nope, I have my phone and my husband is on alert...so I'll be just fine.

Which I was....but I only made it about 10 miles into that wind before I told the group that I was headed home. I pretended that I was having gear problems...but just between you me and this blog....it was having breathing problems and my legs didn't want to work any longer.  It was such a way up call for me.  Wow, how have I fallen so far in my one year hiatus? I don't remember it being this bad last year when I first started training.....this is crazy.

But, now that I think about it.....I did have to work my way up to a 20 mile ride and at one time 10 mile rides were tough.  The main thing was consistency.  Getting out and riding or being active every day is the key to getting back to where I was.  It's really not that had and not something I haven't done before...I did it once (heck, in my life I have probably done it a couple dozen times) I can do it again.

After I came home, feeling completely lame and ashamed...no embarrassed. I decided it was time. If I didn't think so before...I KNOW now  that it is time. Enough of this.  So, Monday night I went to my first spin class in over a year.   Yes, it was hard and yes I was sore afterwards but I did all of it, completed all 45 minutes of spinning and felt tired but good afterwards. I took the first step and it didn't kill me...or even better it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be.

I was supposed to go to spin today, but work got in the way.  Grrr...but I have the next 4 days off and am planning on spinning either outside or inside all 4 days. It will be good and I'm looking forward to it.  I'm even thinking about attending kickboxing with a friend or two...so that will be good too.

Now that I've picked myself up I can totally do this. And...now that I know what it takes to get back to where I was....I can get there again...I already know the way.