Be Brave. Be Bold.

by | May 17, 2018 | cycling, self-esteem, sponsored post

Let me let you in on a little secret.  I turn 40 next year.  I don’t feel anywhere near this old, but I can’t help to wonder if this milestone is influencing my need for extreme challenges lately.  It started with climbing Kilimanjaro, then skydiving, I signed up for a Ragnar Relay race in September, and who knows what else.  Long ago, I declared my 40th birthday party would be in Las Vegas but now I am thinkin Ibiza would be a bit closer.  Plus I have never been there.

Why am I starting to signup to things that scare me a little bit? Have I matured enough not to be afraid anymore?  Am I bold and brave, like my new vest top from Boudavida says?  What else do I want to accomplish in my life?

I thought now would be a good time to put together a list.  Not necessarily a bucket list but some things that I would like to do.  Once it is on paper, that is the first step of making it happen.  I put my wish out into the universe and hopefully it can begin to manifest.

There are two things that are definitely within my reach.  One is learning (sooner rather than later) to cycle in my cleats.  This keeps coming up again and again with me.  I don’t feel like a proper cyclist, no matter how many places I have ridden to (Edinburgh, Paris, various 100 mile sportives).  I had some accidents while learning that shook me up though, and I don’t know of I will ever excel at staying focused enough to clip and out when I should.  My mind tends to wander when I am on my bike.

Mountain biking is the other, and also seems pretty scary. I did one trail ride in the Adirondack Mountains once with my ex and all I kept thinking about was whether or not I would end up flying over the handle bars and hitting my sternum with a bike handle.  Gravel, rocks, trees, and sand are all dangerous obstacles to me when road cycling but make it fun for some when  mountain biking.  My husband has decided he wants to get into mountain biking, so now would be a good time for me to learn too.  Halfords recently released a beginner’s guide to mountain biking which includes terminology, basic skills, and my favourite section, trail etiquette.  It also covers how to choose a bike, what gear you need, and suggests some trails in the UK to try.

I have found this post really helpful and now want to book in for a proper mountain biking lesson at the Velopark to develop my skills and gain confidence (Sunday mornings at 9am if you would like to join me).  These lessons could transfer across to my road cycling too and allow my to spend more time with my husband outdoors if we end up investing in mountain bikes (and another shed to store them in).  My Achilles don’t like running on trails so much any more so I would love to find an activity to substitute it with.  Mountain biking just may be it.

What else do I want to do?  Some I have talked about before but as I was writing this post, a few more came to mind.

  • See Northern Lights
  • Cycle across Cuba
  • Go to Antarctica
  • Visit Galapagos Islands
  • Run Tokyo (2020) and Boston (2021) marathons
  • Run a race in very us state (5 down!?)
  • Ski in Japan (hopefully in 2020 after Tokyo Marathon)
  • Cycle London to Amsterdam
  • Hike in South America
  • Take my husband to Alaska
  • Apply for Space for Humanity (maybe)
  • Half Marathon du Sables  (this is also a maybe)
  • Attend a fitness retreat
  • Proper sky dive
  • Write my two e-books (weekend challenges and tips for Kili)

Don’t forget that some of the above require hard work and discipline. You can’t always sit back and wait for things to happen. You need to work toward your goals, whatever they might be.  I am sure there are many sports, tours, races, countries, etc I don’t even know about that would appeal to me.  The key is to be open to new experiences when they come along. Being brave.  I have also found asking for opportunities can lead amazing memories, like Fitbit Fifty.  Being bold.

This post was sponsored by Halfords.