What would you do for a new bike?

Race season and training is in full swing. We are pushing our bodies to points we didn't think we were capable. But we don't do it for the bling. We do it because of the high from pushing our bodies to limits we didn't think possible. Okay, sometimes it's for the bling.

This past weekend Mitch was in another room just giggling as he watched a video on his phone. What he shared with me had already been seen by thousands. A father, plugging his insurance company, doing the Stinky Fish Challenge. He bets his wife and two young daughters they couldn't sit through him opening a can of Surstromming (basically rotten fish) and eating a piece. Each person picked their own prize. One daughter asks for a new bike, the younger one wants a Flipzee Girl doll and the wife's prize are diamonds. One guess who I was rooting for.

Be sure to watch the video with the sound on and watch it through the end.

Yes it is funny, but what impressed me was this little girl's determination to get a new bike. She sits there and proclaims it smells like a "toot", but doesn't gag, encourages her dad and just is fixated on that new bike. She wills herself to sit at the table while BOTH her parents and little sister are literally retching from the smell.

It is amazing how we can will ourselves to do something if we keep our eye on the prize. Be it finishing that big race, tackling a big climb or like this tough little girl...block out the stink. Mind over body is an amazing thing and we put ourselves to the test every time we clip into those pedals, zip up our wet suit or lace up our running shoes. You can do anything you put your mind to. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  Be strong, be fierce, be bad ass.

I hope her dad came through with an amazing new bike for his daughter. She's going to be a power to reckon with now and in the future. So to this little girl, I say...w

Enjoy the new ride,
Sheri

Listen to your gut

Going with your gut is bypassing logic and trusting your instincts, without knowing why. Logic can assist us in looking forward and planning or in reviewing the past, but when you need information in an instant your instincts give you the best guide for making decisions.

Today I was out fat biking on local forest preserve trails with Mitch and a friend. On our second loop we came across a couple standing on the side of the trail with their bikes laying on the ground. The body language between them made me uneasy. She looked extremely upset and he had a hold of her arm. My gut said something wasn't right. Logic said 'don't stop by yourself it could be dangerous.' I was in the back of the group and they wouldn't know immediately that I stopped.

When we got to a trail split I asked the others about what we just saw. My friend said she did call out "is everything okay?" and the man responded "yes". But nothing from the woman. I told them I didn't feel we should leave without going back and hearing from her that she was okay. The fact that she looked in distress and he had his hand grabbing her arm just didn't sit well with me.

So we retraced the trail back to them. They were still standing where we left them. The woman still looking very upset and you could see she was physically shaking. I directed my question directly to her and asked if she was okay. She nodded. Not convinced we continued to ask questions and make sure she was not in harms way. Turned out she fell on the bike for the second time and was very shaken up.

Physically she just had a little road rash but mentally she was really shaken. After chatting with them we were convinced she was safe and went on our way.

I have a healthy respect for going with my gut and trusting my instincts. There's a difference between trusting your instincts and going out of your comfort zone. Instincts warn you something isn't right, while pushing outside your comfort zone isn't necessarily going to harm you. More often then not it helps you grow.

Today I could not have gone home without making sure this woman was okay. Especially with recent reports of women being grabbed on a local forest preserve trail.

Enjoy the ride.
Sheri