learning to love big blue

Big Blue is my bike. She is a two-year old Cannondale Synapse (kind of like this... only blue) with shimano ultegra components and lovely pink tape on the handlebars. Yes, I think of her as a person, or at least something that is living and breathing.

Big Blue and I have a love-hate relationship. Learning to ride her made me feel inadequate, fat, slow, and frustrated me to no end. The fact that I didn't love her and feel successful on her right away caused a lot of friction and broke some important relationships. This makes me sad...read on....

But here I am, starting late into a new season and trying to make up for lost time. I have put about fifty miles on my bike in six days (which is really good for me and definitely good considering I have also put in a mile in the pool and about fifteen miles of running). I actually feel really good about riding this year. I think that it was a matter of just being ready.

In Godly Play we ask the children, "are you ready to begin." In my classroom I often ask the children, "are you ready to do your best." I think it is the same way with Big Blue. I had to be ready to ride her. I had to be ready to ride on my own terms and for my own fitness or pleasure. I didn't want to be compared to how good everyone else is. I just wanted to learn; I still want to learn. I wasn't ready then. I'm ready now and I love Big Blue.

Happy Riding.