Cycling at Interlochen

One of the great opportunities that come with my schedule the next few weeks, is the opportunity to get on my bike each day in the morning. Over the past several months, my cycling habit has been a bit diminished due to a busy work and family schedule. (However, I will admit that I have been pretty committed to the elliptical machine in the gym at NCSSM.) I brought my Fuji Cyclocross Pro bike with me and it is perfect for the terrain at camp and off campus. I have encountered many dirt roads and the cyclocross bike just begs to turn onto them. It is perfect for both paved and dirt road rides.

 

Today, I went out on a beautiful 21 mile road ride that took me through some great wooded areas and ended up at Lake Ann, in Alvira, MI. Along the way, I saw some beautiful homes, great forests, fields of huge ferns, and a bunch of interesting looking general stores, shops, and other businesses. I was disappointed that I didn't find a public lake access to stop and enjoy the view. I had to enjoy it from the road – looking through the yards of the lucky folks that have homes right on the lake. It was a wonderful ride. Yesterday was the exploration of the circumference of Lake Green, which borders one side of the Interlochen campus. That ride had a combination of paved and dirt roads and a variety of stunning lake views. I am happy to say that I didn't get lost either day. (I will eventually! That is what GPS Apps on the Blackberry were designed for.) The circumference of the lake is about 10 miles, so I did it twice!

 

I am reminded again how great it is to be on a bike. It is so awesome to feel the wind in your face, to have your lungs burn a little bit on an ascent, to get the machine going over 30 mph (sometimes over 40 mph) on a descent, and to see an area up-close and personal. It is a great relief to get away from engines and motors and just generate the energy for travel. There is nothing quite like the feeling of happy exhaustion after a good, solid ride. One really feels a sense of accomplishment and peace.

 

I can't wait to find more lakes, towns, and sights from the back of my bike over the next several weeks. It will definitely get my head right for the beginning of the upcoming school year. Life is certainly good.

 

Peace.

 

Scott

Cycling makes me better

Ok - lets get this out of the way- I am not fast. At least by cycling standards I am not fast. By non cycling standards, I am fine. I just got home from a fantastic 27 mile ride. It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I can't think of a better way to spend some of it. I averaged about 16 mph today and that is a really good day for me when riding alone.

I just love what riding provides for me. Obviously, it is great exercise and it definitely makes me feel a little better about that dish of ice cream that I am sure I will have later today. But, there is so much more to it.

I love the personal challenges that it provides me. I love hills and the challenge of not down-shifting too early. The idea is to maintain your power and speed as long as possible before down-shifting and, ultimately, slowing down when ascending hills. It takes a great deal of willpower not to down-shift too early. But, if you can focus on maintaining your speed and power long enough, hills become less daunting and your goal (the top of the hill) is attained with significantly less pain and suffering! There are great lessons to be learned on hills that pertain to so much of life.

Another great benefit for me is the time alone with my thoughts that an hour or two on a bike provides. I spend so much of my life "switched on" while working with students that it is just great to get on the bike and just think for a while. This morning, our pastor encouraged us to consider the landmarks of faithfulness in our lives. That is, the places that we can encounter God's grace in our lives. For me, my bike is that place. On my bike, I am able to appreciate the beauty of the world around me: the wind, sun, rain, grass, trees, winding roads, beautiful homes. I could go on and on. In this environment, I can be thankful, meditative, prayerful, reflective, reverent, and even creative. Yes - in many ways, my bike is a landmark of faithfulness in my life.

Finally, when I get home after a great ride, I am better. I have more focus and concentration. I am happier and generally more positive. I pay better attention to my kids. I am more attentive to my wife. I feel better. Yesterday and the day before, I spent about 13 hours in a state music educator's association board meeting. Don't get me wrong, the work that we do is important. But, afterwards, I felt terrible. Today, I got on my bike and rode away that 13 hours. I just feel so much better.

Recently, my sister and her daughters have started cycling. I am so proud of her and the girls. She called me a few days ago and told me how much fun they are having and how good this new activity has been for them. I hope that they can find some of the enjoyment and enrichment that I find on a bike. I think they are on their way.

So, if you are considering it, do it. Buy a used bike. Start out slow. Ride around the block. You don't need to break any records. But, trust me when I tell you. Cycling makes me better. Maybe it will make you better, too!

Peace.

I love the Olympics!

How exciting!
The competition is fantastic. The background stories are inspirational. We can all learn something about perseverance, dedication, commitment to excellence, and true performance from these athletes. Another thing that I love about the Olympics is that, at least on the surface, it isn't about money. I watched the three fencers on the medal stand last night and realized that in all likelihood, they won't be on the a Wheaties box next month. Nor will they make a living in the sport of fencing. They have simply committed to excellence in their area of interest for an intense and extended period of time and they will carry the experience with them for the rest of their lives. It will permeate its way into everything that they do from now on. They will be goal-setters, hard workers, and high achievers at work and at play because they have experienced the results of these traits in a tangible way.

I wish the same for my students. It is my mission to provide them the opportunity to be achievers. It isn't easy. They need to know that great accomplishments only come through great sacrifice. And, that there is always something to be gained by striving for excellence, regardless of the potential financial gain at the end of the line. These are difficult lessons to learn, to internalize. If I am being honest, they are lessons that I need to continue to learn on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.

So, it is great to have the Olympics in my living room for a period of time. I am inspired by these athletes in so many ways. I think I'll go for a bike ride.....

Peace.