stop making excuses

In January and February, when it was stormy and rainy and 35°F in the mornings, I rode to work nearly every day. I got 745 miles under my tires in December alone. Now, in May, when it seems like it might rain, I’ve been blowing off rides. Serious issues of motivation kept me off the bike yesterday, when there was a chance of rain that never materialized.

Time to get serious. It’s Bike to Work Day. Time to take a stand. This morning, I jumped on my bike and rode 10.5 miles through a steady rain. Hey, I bought rain gear for a reason. If I can ride to work at 5am in temperatures below freezing in the winter, I can handle a little rain at double the temperature in May.

I’ve always been very good at making excuses. Lately, that’s extended into one of my biggest passions, cycling. If there’s a chance it’s gonna rain, I’m likely to drive to work and find any excuse to blow off my ride after work. Last week was a magnificent 208 miles. This week I’ve already blown off one day for no reason and came up short by 6 miles on another because it was “raining” (really a little sprinkle or two).

I quit writing music about 8 years ago and I’m always making more and more excuses about why I don’t get back on the horse and put in the dues required to write the quality of music I’ve been trained to write. It’s far easier to come up with an excuse than it is to come up with a plan.