Getting Humbled At Crater Lake
“I guess…congratulations are in order…” That’s not just a great line from the 1984 movie “Beverly Hills Cop.” That’s what I wanted to say to MYSELF when I finished my 3rd “Ride The Rim” bike race around the astonishingly beautiful Crater Lake in Southeastern Oregon on September 9th. Fortunately, my amazing cheerleader spouse Meg did the congratulating for me so I didn’t have to come off as some kind of braggart (which, by the way, rhymes with “Taggart,” one of the principle characters in the aforementioned movie). Because, honestly, I feel much more grateful than braggy: that 34 miles of straight up/straight down bike riding humbled me in a big way. There were points on the ride that I literally didn’t think I could keep going, the kind of physical stress-test that forces you to say out-loud “I can do this!” The ride made me realize two important things: 1) most of the bicycle riding I do throughout a normal week is fairly easy, and 2) I’m old. Maybe a third thing I realized as I finished up the Crater lake Ride is I need to challenge myself every now and again to prove I can push through physical barriers to accomplish a specific goal. Yes, I’ve approached the age where “just finishing” counts as a win 🙂
