Don’t Stop

Happy Saturday! If you’re new to THE CRAZY QUEST, you may wish to read about it here. Basically, I’m tracing my journey as I attempt to answer the question:

What would you do if you didn’t know you couldn’t do it?

This week of training: 107 miles (and some vacation/R&R)

DON’T STOP

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. Lance Armstrong

don't give up I’m not all that persistent when I’m cycling.

As long as the momentum is there and I’m cranking along, it’s easy to keep going. But as soon as I start to struggle, I immediately want to stop and rest. I’ve cycled more than twelve thousand miles, and I still want to stop when it gets difficult.

I battle this tendency even on easy terrain. I lose focus and slow down, and then it’s just too easy to coast to a stop instead of working to regain my tempo and speed.

I think this happens to me in many areas of life. When things are going well, it’s easy to keep a positive attitude and continue moving forward. But one small obstacle can destroy the momentum and leave me sitting motionless.

Things I still need to learn, in cycling and in life:

Less energy is needed to keep moving than to start from a complete stop.
Moving a little slower is better than stopping.
When it’s hard to keep cranking, that’s when you get stronger.
It helps to build up momentum before you reach a hill.
Once you quit, it’s easier to quit the next time.
Once you keep going through a tough spot, it’s easier to keep going through the next tough spot.
Focus on the next few feet, over and over, and pretty soon you realize that you’ve covered a lot of ground.

I may not be the best. I may not ride fast or win or reach all of my goals.

I still don’t want to quit.

When are you most tempted to quit?