Oct 27 2008
Excuses and Challenges
This past weekend the weather was excellent for getting out and enjoying the outdoors. So I rode to the farmers market, coffee shop, bookstore, and to my parents for Sunday dinner. It was a great way to spend the weekend. But what stuck with me about the weekend was what I read on A view from the cycle path and Carbon Trace concerning the Clif Bar Commuting Challenge.
After reading those postings and visiting the Clif Bar Commuting Challenge I came away thinking it is no wounder Americans are so fat. With such low expectations or goals how can you succeed at all? Now I realize you need to start somewhere, but a two mile challenge? A brisk walk for two miles should not take longer than 40 minutes, but two miles riding slow on a bike is ten minutes and not nearly enough to see and feel the success needed to keep a person motivated to continue on.
But as Andy Cline stated in his posting: Two miles = damned near impossible
Allow me to generalize a bit: To the average American, two miles might as well be 200 miles if one is asked to traverse that distance on foot or on a bicycle. That’s why companies such a Clif Bar can advertise bicycle commuting challenges without causing anyone to hoot with laughter (about the distance, that is). And people on the other side of the pond? Well, they scratch their heads in wonderment.
I am not laughing. Are Americans so car centric, busy, and or lazy we look at two miles as some sort of a challenge? How sad. Maybe these attitudes among Americans is why companies such as Clif Bar find success in these types of advertising campaigns.
When people discover I have a 42 mile bicycle commute they respond by saying they could never do that or don’t have the time. The only difference between me and them is I do not make any excuses. If I did not ride because I was busy and cut myself short on time to ride to work, it is because I did not manage my time. Not I did not have time today. I had the time but failed to manage it properly. I am not an elite athlete or superman, but I do make time to workout regularly and ride my bike. By putting myself first and making the time, this impacts all aspects of my day to day life.
Many of my co-workers and friends will comment when I tell them about me biking, hiking, or even walking somewhere with a “But you are in shape.” They too can be in fit if they take the time and make the commitment to get off their butts and become more active.
Several people have made observations that I am happy most of the time or it appears I do not have many bad days. Riding my bike and staying physically fit helps not only maintain physical fitness, but it also maintains my mental fitness and happiness level too.
Instead of starting with a 2 mile challenge, why don’t people start out with a no excuses challenge?
Wow. 42 miles is huge. Excellent
A no excuses challenge sounds like a good place to start. Everybody has a lot of them. My commute used to be 20 miles one way. Doing that for 5 days a week was really tiring. I am too old for that now.
I just rode home in a cold rain and my fingers are having a hard time typing this.
Andy: The 42 miles is round trip, so it’s not that huge. A typo me not including the RT part.
Red: At times long commuting it does get old, especially during the cold and wet winter.
I agree – a lot of people DO make A LOT of excuses of NOT riding. It’s sad, especially for those who DO have a bike! I am always trying to encourage people to ride. But a lot of people don’t GET it that biking is FUN and GOOD for you, and our environment, in SO many ways….. If they would try it more, maybe they’d get it….