Inspiration comes so infrequently and in the most unlikely of places sometimes. So I like to keep a collection of things to get me motivated when I need it.
A couple of recent YouTube finds that have fit the bill lately…
Today I found an interesting source of inspiration. I had planned a tough workout on Knox Mountain in Kelowna (~3.5k climb with 250m of vertical) with 4 x climb alternating easy/all out.
On my first all out climb I noticed a Dad and his roughly 8 year old son (he could easily have been younger but saying he was 6 just seems ridiculous) just starting up the mountain each on their own bike. Then on the decent I saw them again, this time the kid had hit a really steep part (probably about 12%) and was out of the saddle trying to do his best Andy Schleck impression on his tiny bike. It may have been the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
The next time up (easy this time), the kid was off his bike, walking it up the steep part but not giving up. So I slowed as I came up beside him and gave him some words of encouragement to keep going. His face lit up in a way I can’t even describe.
Sure enough, on my next decent he was back in the saddle climbing again and seeing that gave me the inspiration I needed to smash up the mountain one last time all out. This little guy wasn’t complaining one bit when the majority of kids would have given up and would be sulking on the side of the road. It was truly amazing.
So I smashed up the mountain one last time and as I passed the little guy, I managed to let out a “go, go, go” in between gasps of breath. Again, his face lit up and I could see him pick up the pace ever so slightly. It was all I needed to push my way to the top. You were my inspiration today buddy.
So it was a great workout which was much needed after yesterday had been washed out by torrential rain, hail, roads with no shoulder, flats and tubes with the wrong valve. Some visual evidence of Jeff changing a flat (note the water rushing around his feet) and the river of water coming down the road from all the rain.
