Sunny Side Up

Yesterday we went to watch the Pro Cycling Championships in Chattanooga. Amazing experience. If you dig cycling, and are close enough, go next year.

We were hanging out, had gone to the expo and gotten freebies of all sorts, and were grabbing water/lemonade for the grumpy butt, hot, tired Hobbes-it in the downtown viewing area bier garten. The boy and I were hanging out on the grass in the shade, passively watching on the jumbotron, when a guy who had obviously been racing walked up with his bike and sat down in the grass. I initially assumed he had raced in the crits earlier, but as he hung out, I realized he had decided to bow out of the race.

Me being... well... me... often if I've had a bad ride, I can get grumpy and kind of want to be left alone. And so leave him alone, I did. Another fellow sat down near me, too, obviously in the same situation. So, instead of talking to them, and offering them a slice of pizza or something, I just sat there.

One of the volunteers walked up soon, and asked the fellow behind me if he'd like something other than what was in his water bottles to eat, handed him some cash, and the guy was really grateful. So I felt kind of bad.

I ended up talking to both of them, and both had the same things to say when I talked to them about their rides that day, their performance, and how they felt about it. They weren't mopey. In fact, both told me something like, "It happens..." or "I thought it might happen..." when they told me about where they train and their expectations for the day.

Paul later made the point to me that they were of the lucky (not lucky... you make your own damn luck.) few who had even crossed the start line that day. Gratefulness for the accomplishments you already achieved...

But it made me think about how I approach rides that are tough on me. When I consider how I should act, I should conduct myself as a champion, and take what I'm given, and smile and nod. Game face on, outside and inside. Being mentally strong isn't about covering up a whining inside with a smiling outside... it's about shutting out the whiner deep inside, when it's mile 70 and I'm really starting to hurt. That happened Sunday. I think I actually pushed through well, breathing, maintaining mental clarity and physical form. That doesn't always happen for me... and I need to take notes from the pros I chatted with and just roll with the punches and know it isn't always going to be rainbows and cupcakes when I'm on two wheels, as a parent, or as a worker. Only by giving up on the poutiness am I going to give myself room to grow.