By AJ Haney
Today’s ride was challenging in so many ways; the distance, the elevation, and mostly the wind played a major role in being successful in completing the journey.
This ride reminded me of a Facebook post I made earlier this month, quoting these words, “Growth is a journey that does not rely on other passengers to reach your destination”. The FCBA ride is quite the opposite, we need each other out there. While certainly I “grew” in my tolerance for enduring long miles, the headwinds slowing my pace to six mph or less, but I couldn’t have even done that without help. This team has so many parts, each responsible for their tasks that if one part falls short, the entire machine is put under stress, and other parts have to take up the slack. Luckily, within the FCBA family, this rarely happens.
The help did come in the form of my friend and “brother” John Johnson. At the beginning of the day, I “gave him permission” to leave me being on the hills, knowing that he is a much better climber than I. I knew that I would be in “survival mode” at each major incline, and my body would keep the pace necessary to save enough energy to complete the next incline. On each incline, John would climb at his comfortable pace, I would drift back and when I finally reached the summit, there he would be waiting for me, allowing me to catch my breath, stretch, and get started again at my own pace. I am thankful for having such a good friend to participate with me and help me in my journey towards personal growth.
