Football is big in Texas. Every little town displays banners of support for the high school team, and the signs point the way to the stadium. In my youth I was a wrestler. I was pretty good, not from athletic prowness but from a tenacious persistence. Coach Pena preached that only a fool would go through his demanding practices and lose! Later I read John Wooden's philosophy, redirecting the focus from victory to preparation and obtaining one's best performance. I have tried to apply his teachings to my life. I have wrestled a lot of demons in my time, not always prevailing. There are some demons that defy preparation and persistence. We all face them. Losing a loved one is such challenge. I guess we have to work with the tools we have.
Today's 65 miles were pretty, rolling hills into a headwind. My route joined a triathlon for about 15 miles, and I was definitely the odd man out by age, attire, and panniers. But it was fun to be part of the action. Blanco is another historic, cute, Central Texas town by a river and laden with parks. Spent a nice afternoon reading by the banks of the Blanco River. Looking forward to a couple of days off in Austin/San Antonio.
Kerrville, hmmm, I wonder if any of my husband's relatives live there. So glad you get to rest, I worry about you. I was going to suggest you rent a pick up truck for a day, put your bike in the back and heal up but it sounds like you are doing ok. Love you buddy!
ReplyDeleteI continue to feel inspired by your blog. Part of me feels like this must be so difficult while also healing. I also admire that you are investing yourself and time to raise awareness.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Catching up, backwards, on your Blog. So glad I had time to do so tonight.Working with the tools I have right now is a challenge too... but like you, I'm aware that challenges are there for us to meet and not to back down from... although great loss such as yours will make it hard not to contemplate backing down from time to time. But, here is a quote I take comfort in and perhaps you can too:
ReplyDelete"We don't need more strength or more ability or more time...what we need is to use what we have."--Basil Walsh