A few months ago, my partner Jeroen signed us up for a bike tour from London to Brighton, 54 miles, which was last Sunday, the 15th of June. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as the day came closer, I started to get cold feet.
I kept the plan mostly to myself, so that I could still change my mind. I presented it as something that was not quite set in stone to those I did tell. To prepare for the tour, I did 4 shorter bike tours in the past few months, only one of them was max 50 km. Apart from that I did my daily exercises, but I wasn´t in the best condition.
Jeroen tested the waters a few times by asking me: ´we could also call it off? ´. But that was not an option for me.
Last week I got my tires changed, so at least my bike was in a good shape 😉 The day before the tour, last Saturday, I gave myself a gentle kick in the ass to get motivated. If I was going to do this tour, I would need to change my mindset about it.
And so I started visualizing how the wind would carry me upwards through the hills, how after the tour I would put my feet in the ocean to cool off, and how I would pass through cosy small English villages and discover places I hadn´t seen yet. Slowly I started getting more excited about it.
Long story short, it was a wonderful day with beautiful weather, and something I couldn’t have imagined before: the boost of energy I got from doing this tour with 15.000 others. With every challenging climb I faced I started singing this Rihanna song:
“Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shinin’ bright like a diamond
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shinin’ bright like a diamond
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky”
I started enjoying the journey, ringing my bell to all the people cheering on us from the side of the road and to all the volunteers who helped out, as a thank you for their support. I also felt a deep admiration for the other participants.
Of course, there were parts where the climb was so steep that I had to walk, bike in hand. The last climb called the Ditchling Beacon is notorious for being extra steep, and most cyclists walked that part. When I arrived I saw Jeroen, who is in a much better shape and biked up that hill with ease, walking towards me with an ice cream, a welcome treat after all this effort 😀
Upon arrival in Brighton I not only took a refreshing dip in the ocean, I also danced at an alternative beach club. I felt happy and relieved after the experience, with a booster of encouragement in the pocket.
This experience showed me that with the right mindset and a little bit of courage, I can achieve more than I thought. Whether it is a physical challenge like this bike tour, or a personal or professional goal, it all starts with a first step, to trust in yourself and to have some fun on the way!
And I feel very grateful that Jeroen challenged me to stretch myself🥰
Do you have a certain challenge planned for yourself that you are dreading, and do you feel that you could use a little courage and some fun?
You can book a 1-on-1 online session here and we can look at it together.
Shine bright like a diamond!💎✨💞
Love, Jessica