Lessons from the River Loop

So I'm sitting on my couch, having breakfast and watching the cricket. I've weighed in post-Christmas binge at a peak of 101.7kg, about 4kg up on my usual weight of 98kg, when the thought comes up,

"I really should go and do some exercise". 

Immediately the "Idontwanna" voice kicks in:

"But I'm too tired. And the cricket's on. And I should have gone 4 hours ago, it's too late now, and it's too hot anyway."

The original voice counters,

"But you said you'd go yesterday, AND the day before. Is this gonna be just another time you didn't do what you said?"

So I suit up and get on the bike, for a spin round the river loop. And there's the first benefit right there before I've even gone anywhere:

1. The joy of doing what I said I'd do.
My actions align with my commitment to being fit and healthy physically and mentally, and I don't need to suffer with feeling guilty about not doing exercise again. I know myself as someone who will do what I said even with feelings and reasons that get in the way of that. My mood lightens straight away and as I'm pedalling along through the back of Yeronga past my old place in Feez St, the next benefit comes to mind:

2. Moving forward
The wind is in my hair and in my face, I'm enjoying just moving forward, going somewhere. It may just be physically moving forward, and in a loop that comes back to the same place, but it feels metaphorical as well - going somewhere, moving forward in life, providing impetus for getting moving in other areas of life, and this kicks in to the next benefit of exercise:

3. Positive thinking time
I don't know if this is true for everyone, but I really value exercise time, as it provides me with a time to think in which I seem to think more positively than I otherwise would. Maybe it's just the endorphins, but with the positive thoughts come ideas for positive actions: "I'll ring that mate back who rang yesterday." "I'll study despite being 'on holidays'." "I'll do a blog post about this." "I'll put my application in for uni this year".

I think about all of this as I cruise along Brisbane Corso, then I get to the bottom of Highgate Hill and start climbing - this brings the next challenge, my muscles start to ache, I feel tired, my tight shoulders tense up more, my breathing gets heavier, "Idontwanna" voice comes back, but this challenge provides the next benefit too:

4. Pushing myself when it's hard work
It feels uncomfortable, but I push myself up the hill without stopping, right to the top of Gladstone Rd and there's a victory. I can push myself even when it's uncomfortable, and get to the end. I get to know myself as someone who can be determined through difficulties. From the top of Gladstone Rd it's a fun, fast roll down Dornoch Tce and this brings the next, unexpected benefit:

5. Life is fun!
It seems obvious, but sometimes I forget that. What could bring it back more than hammering down hill at 60kph with the wind rushing by? Life sure IS fun.

The bottom of the hill brings you back to the Brisbane River, as always in Brissie, and a long winding ride through West End and South Brisbane. These days there are so many more options for cyclists and pedestrians crossing the river in the city - Eleanor Schonell Bridge, The Go-Between Bridge, The Kurilpa Bridge, Victoria Bridge, The Goodwill Bridge, The Storey Bridge. These all present options to vary the length of the ride, but for me a 'full' river loop crosses the Goodwill Bridge and goes back via Indooroopilly, and this presents the next opportunity:

6. Doing things properly and fully
I could easily take one of the other bridges and shorten the ride, particularly if I'm feeling tired. (Taking the Eleanor Schonell Bridge across from UQ and home is a fave shortcut)  I want to do this as I intended - a full river loop over the Goodwill Bridge and back via Indooro Bridge, so I head up South Bank past all the other bridges to the Goodwill Bridge and back along the Bicentennial Bikeway out towards UQ. I cruise gently down Sir Fred Schonell Drive and into UQ, really getting into the rhythm of the ride and this is the last major benefit:

7. Being in the zone
There's something really lovely about being settled in the rhythm of an activity - no thoughts about technique or how to do this better, no pushing hard or straining, no need to do it any other way, just letting your body move in it's natural rhythm. I find it with swimming after several hundred metres and today it was there on the bike.

From there it's just a few ups and downs round the back of Indooro and a cruisy flat ride through Chelmer, Graceville and Tennyson. As I pulled up at the lights at Fairfield Rd, the driver next to me leaned out, "It's a bit hot for riding, eh?". "Yeah, it is a bit.", I said. But I loved it.