Thursday, November 13, 2014

Rounding the Corner?

Whenever you are out hiking in a new place, do you find that you have the urge to always push a little further to see what's around the next corner?  Sure, you might have a schedule to keep and maybe you only allotted yourself enough time to get back for dinner, but you just can't resist finding out what else is out there.  As someone who prides himself in being early for just about everything, I also take great pride in choosing to be late because I hiked too long and went too far.

Lately I find myself in a unique situation in terms of rounding a corner of a different sort.  In just the last two weeks I have been able to engage in more sustained activity following a five week setback in my surgery recovery which has been fraught with complications and a slower than usual healing process.  For a while I didn't really care what was around the next corner due to frustration.  It was as if I was one of those people who went hiking for all the wrong reasons.  You know the people who are all too willing to turn around practically before they start; people who don't have the passion for what they are doing; people that are never compelled to see what's next.

Wayne

Obviously there is a half-assed metaphor in there but for me it is also meant to be taken literally.  For weeks now, months even, I have been plodding along just forcing myself to get up and go.  Along the way though I learned something.  I learned the value of perseverance in the face of zero motivation.  On many occasions leading up to last weekend I didn't exactly want to get out. Nevertheless I kept going and I finally rediscovered my curiosity for what's around the corner again.  It has been a long, long time since I enjoyed a bike and climb weekend but it happened and it was fun.  It was nothing hardcore.  No gnar was shredded.  It was just good fun and all I wanted was to keep on going.

Clever urban single track