By: An Jimenez
Imagine sitting on a bike seat for 7-10 hours a day. That's a lot of hours spent pedaling, not to mention the mostly unfavorable conditions - 98-degree weather, 10mph headwinds, and many times, nothing to look at but fields and fields of dead crops (today it was sunflowers).
One question I get often is: "What do you think about when you bike?" With all those hours spent on the bike, one would assume that by now, I'd have thought up some brilliant things (perhaps an idea for a startup, a solution to my moral dilemmas, or a career route I can begin pursuing). The truth of the matter though is that proactive thinking is quite difficult while riding a bike because the brain is so focused on monitoring the surroundings, maintaining a proper cadence, and steering the wheels in the right directions.
Before I started the trip, I thought I would have so much thinking time to "figure out my life," but most of the thoughts that go through my brain on a day-to-day basis are as follows:
In the mornings
"Well, here begins the day. 80 miles ahead of us..."
"I'm hungry. Should've eaten more for breakfast."
"WOAH, that was a big bump."
"Oh man, I love this song."
"Oh man, I hate this song."
"Did Lisa just call my name?"
"Hello?!? Why is my bike making that noise?"
In the afternoons
"Only 20 more miles until the next break."
"Is that an uphill? Ugh, that's an uphill."
"Almost...at the...top..."
"WOW, that was a steep one. Can't believe my legs aren't falling off yet."
"WOOHOO! I LOVE BIKING!" *downhill thoughts exclusively*
"Why is there a headwind? How does wind even work?"
"Is that the van? Please be the van."
"That car just passed SO close, are they crazy?!?"
In the evenings
"We've literally been biking for...8 hours already."
"I'm so TIRED."
"Can't wait to eat. I'm going to eat fifteen thousand cookies when we arrive."
"Wow, the sky is so beautiful."
"Well, we did it. Another day finished."
There's only one more day of this.
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