Isn't That The Truth!

Isn't kinda cool how sometimes God aligns everything just right sometimes and something happens or is said that you absolutely needed to happen at just that right moment?

We've all had it happen and even if you want to credit God for it or not, well that's your thing... but I know God does it all the time for us. Heaven knows I've had a few things here lately occur that if He didn't interject could have easily gone south.

So my neighborhood I live in is called SpringHill acres. It's named that way because it is on a lake and it is down a hill. It's not Colorado, but it's a fairly steep incline that goes out of my neighborhood and also one that heads back down to the hospital I work at. Nothing major... but I can always gauge right off how I feel that day on a training ride based on how I tackle that hill. Before I was sick, I could ride up both hills like they were flat. I love when that happens. I was getting really fit.

After I finally got up the strength to cruise around the hood on the granny bike, my goal was to someday be able to make it up that hill. It took me a couple weeks to make it. The first couple times required a few breaks, but eventually I made it up clean! I was stoked. Such a little hill that I used to laugh at became a major struggle for me, but I made it and I didn't care what anybody else thought of me making it or needing to take break. To me it was a major hurdle and that hill felt like a prison wall holding me away from longer cruises until I could overcome it. And that I did!

(A little bigger incline at Cottenwood pass)

So once I made it up the hill and down the back side of it, my next goal was to make it back home up the other side. This is actually on a road that goes to the hospital campus, so it sees a fair amount of traffic therefor some of it has a sidewalk. Now, let me tell you this. It's been a long time since I've used a sidewalk with a bike under me, but these days I feel so much slower than traffic, I take that sidewalk all the time. Weird. This little hill maybe takes me 30 seconds normally, but given that I have already climbed another hill, I spent a few weeks needing to take a break at least 2 or 3 times. It was huge... it might as well been the Alps for all I know.

So lately, I have been able to make it up that hill all at once at snail's pace. I'm proud to make the hill, but some days I forget that I almost died 3 months ago and I start getting upset with how slow I go up that little hill. I don't get upset everyday, but the thought of frustration crosses my mind sometimes.

Which just so happened today. I'm on the sidewalk, minding my own "feeling sorry for myself being so slow" business when a familiar car rolls up beside me. I'm thinking "man I hope this isn't someone wanting to converse because I can't even breath right now." Then a dude I've known since the BMX days shouts out to me...

"It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster."

I thank him and Him and we both continue on our paths.

Isn't that the truth!

A couple months from now when Coach Mark has me training my tail off, this won't seem any bit harder then what it does now. I'm just going a little slower for the time being.

The thing is: getting up those damn hills isn't about how pro I look getting up them, how fast I used to be able to do it, or how fast everyone else can. It's about me believing I can go up it. It's about me going for a bike ride because I like to, it's about me trusting in God's decision that this is exactly where He wants me to be right now and giving me a chance to make it up even more hills and obstacles in the future.

My friend is right... it doesn't matter how slow, fast, or good I get. I'll always find a way to push the limit further because that's how I roll.

That's what I did and that's what I'm doing!