Former Texas basketball coach Abe Lemons once joked that track was a simple sport to coach.
“Just tell ‘em to turn left and get back as fast as they can.”
Some folks approach a bike tour with a similar mentality—follow the directions and get to the end as fast as you can.
That’s a perfect strategy for a race.
On Saturday, about 35 riders will join our core team for the first leg of FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR ’14. No doubt at least a couple of them will ride as fast as possible, hustle through lunch, and reach the end a couple of hours ahead of everyone else.
The rest of us will stop for pictures, spend time talking, and take extra time for lunch. We’ll meet new people, talk about stuff, and arrive as refreshments are set up.
It’s not my job to tell someone else how to ride. But for me, the people, pictures, and time are the whole point. I want to show up just in time for the party.
Seems like in cycling, and in life, there’s a time to race and a time to tour, a time to get to the end quickly and a time to savor the journey. Maybe we can all take some time and ask ourselves if we’re racing when we’d do better touring.
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Our team spent the last six weeks filling this house with MILES OF LOVE as we trained. Next week we’ll bust the top open.
The miles don’t really matter to the kids who live at the HOME OF HOPE in New Delhi.
The love matters a lot.
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