I had a nice boat ride earlier this week on a certain government- run sailing company.
As I was enjoying my dinner during the cruise I was listening to three employees discuss their weekend.
The entire time they had to keep stepping over a mop that had fallen out of its rack.
After about 15 minutes as plates were stacking up beside them and the mop remained on the floor, two of them announced it was time for their break and left.
Ok, I’m way off of a biking topic, but this got me thinking about big challenges and how to make them seem smaller.
Riding Whistler as much as I have this season I’ve run into many situations that were daunting.
I’ll leave home base feeling intimidated by a 700-metre climb and some double black descents that I have never ridden.
But off I go and as I approach the trails I just concentrate on the first tough climb, then the next, and the next.
Eventually I arrive at the top and only then do I worry about the crazy downhill trails.
I roll in and take it as it comes, trying not to think about anything but the section of trail directly in front of me.
It gets me through most of the trail features smoothly and as I approach home again I realize I just ripped off a huge ride and it was far less daunting than I originally thought. It was a bunch of little rides opposed to one leg- crushing pain fest.
I’m sure the three workers on the boat were dreading coming back to work after their break with such a huge task in front of them, but if they just concentrate on picking up the damn mop first, maybe it will ease the pain a bit and make the overall challenge seem a little easier.
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…