Born To Be Wild

In my quests for running and riding faster and farther I sometimes forget the simple joy of riding or running without looking at the timer and worrying about stride, pedal stroke, cadence, posture, breathing and the laundry list of things to worry about while training or racing. This past weekend I got a reminder of the little bit of freedom we are afforded in the simple act of getting on a bike.

My daughter decided to make the leap from training wheels to a full on two wheeled bike rider. This is something that we've all known she could do for the last year, but she just lacked the confidence to try. She's been riding razors, and skateboards on her own, but when it came to the bike she just wasn't quite ready. Saturday she decided to make the transition, and it was a revelation to her much like it is a revelation to us all when we have a break through and reach that goal that seemed impossible before. Now she wants to ride every day.

Let us all remember that sometimes it's good to forget about all the stuff we worry about as adults and just get out there and run, pedal, swim, play and move.

It's worth noting that when we made the move to riding on the road and sidewalks that the helmet rule was and is enforced. I always wear my helmet when riding on the roads and did so with my daughter as we went for our first ride around the neighborhood.