riding north

today was an excellent day to ride north.

and not such a great day to ride south. unless, that is, one is desirous of a good training ride.

you should know by now that "training ride" is my euphemism for a ride that is full of misery. which for me usually involves wind.

today there was a wicked wind from the south. during the hours I was riding it was a fairly consistent 22-26 mph, with gust up to 34 or so mph. admittedly, it could have been worse. but it was just about at my outside limit of tolerable windy conditions.

not only is it more difficult to ride into the wind, it's just purely disappointing. as strong as you may think you are, that headwind is just out to prove you incorrect. it holds you back on what should be a lovely descent, and it slows your progress on flats and hills so devastatingly that no matter how hard you push, your speed is decreased to numbers you're embarrassed to experience.

but, as with everything in life, there is a yin to the headwind's yang, and that would be the tailwind. and today my gift was that the first half of my ride was into the wind, so the second half was blessed with one of the strongest pushes I've ever had. I hit new personal land speed records for certain stretches of road, and was getting such a great boost from the wind that working in zone 4B was well worth it just to watch that mph number creep higher and higher.

and because I was in such a pleasured state on my return trip, I was able to let my mind drift into the more metaphysical concept of tailwinds.

earlier this morning I'd read a brief essay by steven taylor in which he discussed how we receive help from others in our quests and desirings and movements forward into that which we strive for. as the wind was so gently pushing me toward home, I thought about all the other tailwinds in our lives that help us toward our goals. I often speak about "the universe" listening to me, teaching me, guiding me, and the way the universe most often works is through other people. (though I believe it sometimes works through things such as weeds.) we might say it's a "situation" that benefits us or gives us that push, but the situation comes about only through the workings of other humans. therefore, all of the many tailwinds that help us navigate and stretch and grasp our next desires come from the strivings, the consideration, the help and the compassion of others. and none of us will ever know how much our own efforts toward our own quests become tailwinds for other people. how amazing and awesome is that?

riding north today was pure pleasure. I felt supported, my mission was eased, and I reached my goal in less time than ever before. I had to work hard heading south before I reaped my reward, but my reward was huge and fabulous and a reminder of the fact that whatever my dreams, my movements, my desires, I am not alone in bringing them to fruition.