Cadence and Transitions...

In less than 7 weeks, I'll be "running" this race!  It's been a journey for me since signing on the dotted line in January of this year!  I, along with two great friends and current Irongirls, have decided to do what we didn't think was possible (at least that goes for ME!) complete this sprint triathlon.  I've seen the race completed a couple of times; at times wondered: "what is it that makes someone want to put themselves through this?," and have walked away unchanged except for the admiration for those "winners!"

So, how did I push the "send" button?  As a coach, I often challenge my clients to do what they didn't originally think was possible, and watch their courage in executing their success.  We use their belief system and "habits" that were cultivated to apply to other challenges in life.  I believed that in completing this race, I would execute a cascade of possibilities I never even imagined.

So, when my bicycle coach today talked about "cadence" and "transition," it somehow resonated with  me.  In cycling, it's about the "RPM... revolutions per minute" and trying to hold them constant to get the most efficiency out of your body. It's a rhythm of sorts.  Now, in the comfort of my air conditioned home, I think "isn't that what life is?  Finding that rhythm... not overreacting to one thing or obsessing about one idea, but to find that natural flow of what we want our life to be?"  Pedaling through the hills and valleys and shifting up or down in anticipation of what might come next.

Today, I learned to shift up my back ring (to higher gears) so that I could shift down my front ring (lower gear) while still keeping the same effort.  If I try to shift down with my rear gears low, then I start spinning like there's no resistance, and I also risk my chain coming off my bike.   What a great metaphor...  life is not about not having resistance.... it's about feeling the road; knowing that your muscles will be working hard; that your breathing is important, and that sometimes, pressing through the pain can help you keep going.  With no resistance, we can fall or spin our wheels and go nowhere.  It reminds me of the saying that "Kites fly against the wind.... not with it."

So, I will be working on flow, rhythm, and cadence over the next several weeks, to help  my ongoing transitions in life and in health.  I will remember to shift up or down to allow me to press on and be successful!

How are you using cadence and transitions in your life?  I'd love to hear from you!....  and perhaps I'll see you out on the road!

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