Ride in the wind– Ride with the wind
I walked out of the cafe and got on my bike. The next moment, the guy sitting on a bench by the street opened his mouth with shock. He just witnessed an action scene: I was blown off my bike and landed in a flower pot.
For the past two weeks, I was the only rider on the Spinning Wheels Relay Eastern team, and every day, I was battling with strong headwind for five to seven hours on the bike.
Riding in the wind can be very challenging physically and mentally. I remember one day on the road, an open area with endless corn fields, I was pedaling so hard that I thought I was going to throw up. I laughed desperately when I saw I was traveling at only 13km/h. At that point, I’ve already been on my bike for 4 hours, and the destination was still 80km ahead.
I never thought I would have to deal with wind of this level. In the past, whenever facing headwind, I just imagined myself as a blade cutting into the wind, and I would pedal hard and power through. But this is different. It seems that I have no chance of winning this battle. Exhausted in the wind, I changed to smaller gears and tried to relax my body. I thought: why not learn from sailors, observe the wind, and work with the wind.
As I started to observe the wind, I found that the wind was actually coming from all directions, although it felt like it was just blowing into my face. There was even a stream of wind coming from behind, pushing me forward. I then focused all my mental energy on the wind at my back. Interestingly, the ride felt easier, less exhausting, and powered. For hours, I was practicing this focus, and it was not that mentally challenging anymore.
This is also parkinson’s, isn’t it? Initially, it feels like a strong headwind, exploiting the good in your life, taking away strength and joy. But if you slow down and observe it, there is a force pushing you forward, slowly but surely, forward. That force is community. And if you work with the force, commit to focus on the good, you will discover a new world, a wonderland with hope.
Don’t get me wrong, riding with headwind is still one of the most difficult things I have to face on my ride. Being in a supportive community doesn’t make symptoms disappear. But it’s so much easier when you know they are always there with you to face the challenges, always.
