Packing

Whew! I'm gettin-er done. Yep. Packing up a storm, as I put it today. And purging like mad! I took 3 heavy bags of clothes to the women's shelter this morning. Thank you to Mir for helping me let go of things I don't wear anymore (and I thought I'd already done much of that over the past months).

I've been doing well over the past years to learn to remain serene during adverse situations. Packing up to move out of my place has definitely been testing me. And on the weekend I wasn't passing the test. Moody-me went out for a bike ride on Saturday, only to have my riding company of the day, Andrew, tell me that he thought I should take some time off the bike. Well, at least I hadn't lost my listening skills. I wasn't having fun on the bike. I was stressing about all of the things I need to do in the next week and a half. Things I was not able to control in that particular moment. Yes, I should have been focused on riding the bike and instead I couldn't stop fretting. Plus I was mad at my garmin, and having asthma issues, but that's another story. So, yes, I heard the message and I did not head out for a ride yesterday. Besides, I have a really annoying saddle sore that needs a rest right now. I spent the day plowing through the packing and by the time I saw him again last night, my response to how I was feeling was: "I'm great!!" I took another day off the bike today and got more packing done (not that I would have ventured out in the crazy thunderstorm that descended upon us this evening).

When you want to log 5,000 km on the bike in a single season (about 5 months) it takes the majority of your free time - unless you race and you are faster than I. Most rides are a minimum of 2 hours - the weekend rides are 3-4 hours. I haven't been doing the long rides I normally do. Then I have a full-time job and things like work travel, working evenings, fatigue - oh, and maybe uprooting my life, packing up my apartment and moving out - getting in the way of the goal... well it's hard to set the goal to the side for reality. It kinda sucks. (not to mention that I actually have lovely people in my life that I would like to spend some of that free time with when I can find it - I'm lucky that they are all very patient and accepting of my bike obsession and find time for me when I find it for them) Then I was reminded: I'm heading off to ride my bike for the whole 'off-season'. Perspective. Patience. It will pay off in the end.