I’ve spent a good percentage of my time on earth strengthening my body through exercise and international competitions. But as the decades tick by, my body’s odometer is registering some speed bumps. Muscle mass is not what it used to be and I’m more easily winded. But how much traction my physical body has actually lost is not easily quantified. So the other day when I got back on my hand-cycle after a lengthy hiatus, I would soon see just how out of shape I was.
I went for a leisurely ride with a 21-year-old friend with cerebral palsy. From the start, though my buddy (a musician) had never trained seriously or competed in any sport, he was leaving me in the dust. Though my cadence was twice as fast, I was winded and lagging far behind. After 5km I was beat and terribly discouraged. My strength and health had declined far more than I had imagined! I was defeated. Was I losing my mobility?
After a rest, which I’d hoped would generate my second wind, we resumed our ride — but I was still super slow. Something was seriously wrong. Almost in tears, I looked down at the arms that once powered me to Paralympic podiums and through IronMan competitions. Had they abandoned me? I sighed in deep disappointment thinking that my biking days were behind me.
But then I wondered if there was some simple solution to my problem. I quickly surveyed the hand-cycle and noticed that there was a handbrake. Could the handbrake be engaged? I looked more carefully.
The handbrake was on!
Not slightly on. Fully engaged. I had been riding with the brake locked the entire time, working twice as hard to go half the speed, wondering why I couldn’t get any faster. I snapped off the brake. The wheel rolled freely at the same time a huge smile spread across my entire face. I let out a deep and most satisfying laugh! I was not so out of shape — my nemesis had not been flaccid muscles but an overlooked technical issue. I would ride another day.
This reminded me that all too often our roadblocks are in our head, and it’s best not to give up hope too soon. What brake am I riding with right now? What assumption, what old story, what invisible friction is making everything harder than it needs to be?
The obstacle is sometimes outside us. But more often, if we’re honest, it’s engaged right there in our own hands.
Check the brakes.