Hills Make Me Happy!
February 11, 2010
I like to get my workouts done in the morning. That way, I have no excuses at the end of the day – “I’m too tired…” “I have too much to do…” You get the idea.
So there I was, early on Saturday morning in a “spinning” class – a high-intensity workout on a stationary bike with a heavy metal flywheel to simulate the feeling of actually being on the road.
Our instructor that day, Becky, was teaching an outstanding class, the central theme of which was hills and more hills.
“Increase the tension!” she screamed above the music. “Now increase it again!” When she saw the pained expressions on the faces of the class, she smiled and shouted, “Hills make me happy to be alive!”
It was funny enough to distract the class, but as is the case with most seemingly mundane things, it also has profound implications for us in our business and personal lives.
Yes, hills on a bicycle are no fun – they drain you of your energy; they have an effect on your mental outlook; and, well, they hurt!
But they also make you a stronger rider. And that’s the important point: anything that comes easily contributes very little to personal development. Real growth comes from facing and overcoming adversity, whether that adversity takes the form of a difficult boss, a challenging personal situation, or something as simple as climbing a hill on a bike.
So if you want to get better – at whatever it is you do, you should get used to some hills along the way…and maybe even learn to like them.
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I can resonate with this posting on both levels. As a beginner multi-sport athlete, I know how tough hills can be and I also know that it is really important to train for them, so on race day you are prepared to handle them. Also, having just been challenged like never before in my career, I chose to face the “hill” head on and do the hard work and make the changes necessary to get over it. I now have more tools to handle future “hills” with confidence.
Thanks Ron.
I’m going through some hills right now, and I’m enjoying the challenge.
If it doesn’t kill you, …………………
Ben