This is a rerun of a blog I wrote a few years ago. It relates to my previous blog on August 13 about cycling and will be included in an upcoming book about the nature of community.
Years ago my buddy Ken and I rode bikes from Waco to Dallas. The total distance on the back roads of Central Texas was 124 miles. I think we did it in about 12 hours. Understand – this wasn’t one of those big organized rides with aid stations and mobile mechanics and friends and families waiting at the finish line. This was just a couple of guys who wanted a good challenge on a hot summer Saturday.
Until that ride, the longest distance I’d ridden was thirty miles, and that was a reconnaissance trip for the big ride – to check out the route from the southern edge of Dallas County into the heart of the city and on northward to the suburbs.
I discovered in that experience that the only thing I needed to do differently from a physiological perspective to stretch myself from thirty to 124 miles was to keep my body fueled. So, in addition to a lunch break at a café in Whitney, we drank plenty of water and ate fruit and energy snacks as we rolled. At the end of the 124-mile ride, I was no more tired than I had been after thirty miles.
However, there was one other factor that was crucial to survival and success: camaraderie with someone to help keep me going. When I made the thirty-mile ride, I was alone, and I recall it was a hard, stressful grind. I could never have done the 124 miles by myself. I wouldn’t have even tried.
In similar fashion, we’ve had eighty people at our house for a party but prior to that the most we had hosted was thirty. We weren’t sure if we could do it on that large a scale, but once more the keys to success were plenty of good nourishment and camaraderie. In this case I’ll call it great fellowship – with all the guests but also with those who helped us prepare. We couldn’t have done it alone.
There are so many things in life that seem daunting and even impossible on a large scale. However, if we have sufficient nourishment – be it physical, spiritual, or emotional – and if we have good folks with us to help carry the load and push us along, we can get through it. We can even enjoy it and make a great memory.
The bike ride was one of the best days of my life. I’ve added the house party to that list.