Turning a corner.

Each Thursday, I ride with a group of co-workers. We leave from downtown and ride toward the Shelby Bottom Greenway. A couple of weeks ago, we decided to ride to the Percy Priest Dam and back. It ended up being one of the best rides I’ve had in a long time. It was tremendous. The pace was easy, the conversation was great and my legs were doing exactly what they were trained to do.

I finally made it up the dreaded hill near McGavock and Two Rivers without stopping. I led a pace line for a few miles at the end holding between 17-17.5 mph. For me, that’s faster than usual. It’s hard to explain how good the ride felt. My breathing was good. My legs were strong. My blood sugars were perfect. And mentally… mentally I was fully engaged.

Back at home, I sat in my living room floor and thought about what specifically made this ride so different. Had I eaten differently? Had I prepared differently? What made it so good? And then, as soon as those thoughts passed through my mind, I remembered I’d invited the Lord into it.

Duh. Of course it would be different. I was overwhelmed with kind words and encouragement after my last post. Thank you for listening and taking the time to pray these things over me. It seems minor on the surface, but it was such a powerful thing. It was a great cycling week for me mentally, and one I desperately needed. I want to change my attitude toward climbing. I want to set out knowing I’m going to push through. No more stopping. No more fear. No more negativity.

If I’m going to ask you to support me in this effort, I have to do what’s required. Your support is why I work hard. JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes is not a one-person show; it’s a family affair.