It's all about the downhill

We rode 105 miles last Saturday with about 5,000 feet of climbing. I don't usually ride that far, and I certainly don't usually climb that much. But in preparation of our bike ride from Portland to San Diego, I have to practice the pain of getting uphill.

In the 25 miles of slow grinding up to Alpine, I spent a lot of time focusing on my thoughts. I can't stop pedaling because I won't coast uphill. I can't think about my leg muscles because it reminds how hard they are working. It's hot. The scenery is beautiful but it looks the same--desert mountains, large rocks, dry plants and lots of dead catepillars on the road. So I turn inside and find motivation to make it to the top.

And in the hours of self contemplation, I found myself continually thinking about the downhill and how much fun it will be to speed 45 miles an hour down unused mountain roads. And even though the downhill will flash before my eyes in less than 30 minutes, I know that all the pain will be worth it because I live for those fast, thrilling moments of acheivement.

And as I returned to my office on Monday, stressed with maxed account loads and multitasking needy clients, I find myself thinking about the downhill portions of my job. Executing plans, creating events and pitching media can be tough. But then there are the successes, the acheived goals the moments to stop and take in the accomplishment. The moment to celebrate.

Funny thing about our bike ride last weekend. When we hit the downhill, a strong wind came roaring up the canyon. As much as I wanted to coast the entire way down, I still had to pedal. I still had to keep my legs moving, pumping to get a strong momemtum at 45 miles an hour.

And that's when I realized, at work it doesn't end with the downhill. Even though I take a moment to coast, I still have to dig in and pump my legs to keep getting results for my clients.