Most people don't understand the burden of being right all the time. :)
I know myself very well. That means being brutally honest with myself about my annoying habits, personality quirks and personal challenges. When I decided to take on this cycling trek, I knew that I faced some obstacles. The first, of course, was the physical one. I don't have the body of a cyclist and I had to convince myself that I was even capable of doing this. Although I had my doubts, many friends stepped up to assure me that my body didn't determine my abilities.
However, I also knew that this wasn't going to be my biggest challenge. That would be the mental ability to carry through the next year preparing. I do thrive on routine but that also brings about boredom for me. I knew there would come a time when I would just be bored mentally pedalling through the kms. That time has come-this past week. I've tried the iPod, I've tried doing different routes and paths, I've tried different cycling buddies, even the computer and math calculations are not stimulating me. My limit is 2hrs on the bike. Most of the time is spent thinking about how much longer I have to do this until I can get back to my deck and finish Harry Potter. It's the "How much further/longer?" syndrome that plagued us as children during the family car rides.
I'm open to your suggestions, encouragements and prayers. I need to over-come this so that I have that skill next year during the tour. What do I do?
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6 comments:
Finish Harry Potter, first and foremost. That is what seems more interesting right now.
Secondly, all of your music wizardy friends (right now Im not one of them) might be able to create musics lists for your IPOD that are at least two hours long. Then it becomes a surprise while you are riding, never knowing what's next and thinking more about the music and friends and less about the "are we there yet?" syndrome.
Finish Harry Potter - Tracy is right.
Get sermon tape archives from Barbie and resort back to the old Walkman.
Get books on tape.
Download random churches' sermons on your iPod and learn some stuff.
Count roadkill. Determine how many dead animals you have passed per kilometer, per hour, per trip, per township.
Carry a voice recorder instead of an iPod and record voice letters to your friends.
Tell your friends to record voice letters for you in mp3 format so you can listen to their nutty ranting for two hours.
Learn a new language with the audio track. Sono annoiato. I am bored. Sette scoiattoli guasti sul lato della strada.
Oh! Dude! Get the Bible on MP3. You could "read" the whole thing in like a month and break a record or something. And there's one on mp3 that my roommate loves.. it's in a bright green box at the bookstore and it's narrated by all sorts of prominent members of the black community - actors, musicians, that sort of thing. Mmm, it's good stuff.
That's all I've got for you so far. I'll keep thinking.
Love,
Holly
Holly! You are hilarious! Although I do love the idea of learning a language. How much fun to learn Dutch!?!?!?! I'm going to look into it.
AND There are definitely more than 7 squirrels!
YES! We LOVE Gayle Harrison! Rock on.
The boredom thing could be a wall... it can be the same wall you hit when mediitating (and start to feel edgy and irritable)... once you get past it, a sense of calm might prevail. Just being with yourself. Without the ipod or the math calculations, et. al. Just you.
And, hey, if that doesn't work, there's always the language-learning thing..:))
Good luck!
I'm late, sorry. I was busy vegetating on vacation. (and, by the way, I finished Harry Potter before you did! ;-P)
Holly had great ideas.
I wonder on the boredom front though... Sure you're doing different routes here and there. But it is all just still plain old boring **London** When you're actually on the trip, you are going to have the constant 'new' coming around every corner. All kinds of wild places that you've never ever been before. I think that is going to go a long way to helping you get through the days.
(I didn't cycle sea to sea, duhh, so I don't *know*, I just suspect this.)
So how about tossing the bike in the trunk, and driving out to other areas - go to Hamilton and cycle around there, go to Waterloo, go to Ottawa, etc etc.
I know, I know, not exactly practical!
ttfn,
...art
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