Nobody planned the tradition of obstacles.
In fact, this particular tradition could fade away and we would be happy. However, it has made for interesting stories.
In 2013 the team ended up in a snake-infested field. Okay, maybe “infested” is a bit strong, but they carried road bikes across a meadow and over at least one fence. They also encountered an angry landowner in a pickup with a rifle in the gun rack behind the seat. None of this was in the pre-ride plan.
In 2014 the riders could see exactly where they needed to go. The road was right over there, but there was this silly locked gate across the trail for no apparent reason. Based on previous experience, climbing the fence seemed like the traditional choice.
We wondered what fence we’d encounter in 2015. We even discussed building one into the plan on purpose, just to keep the tradition alive. But planned adversity isn’t quite the same thing.
On Monday, our route through Denver was mostly along the South Platte River Trail. We were assured there were no remaining issues from the high waters that had closed the trails earlier. So imagine the surprise when this “puddle” proved to be at least 30″ deep.
I’m only glad I wasn’t riding with them–not quite sure how we would have managed that!
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We don’t plan these obstacles, but they’re always the stories we tell. That’s because stories worth telling–and living–always involve adversity.
No one chooses to ride a bike 500 miles because it’s easy. Same thing for any worthwhile endeavor. We do them, commit to them, precisely because they’re difficult. It you want easy, stay home and watch TV.
Sometimes people give up because the thing they want to do is hard and they think that’s a sign they’re doing something wrong. It’s supposed to be hard!
It can be fun, satisfying, joyful, peaceful, and many other wonderful things. But a story worth living always involves adversity or conflict.
And if a little puddle is the biggest obstacle you encounter, maybe you need a bigger story.
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