Cycling across Spain (North to South).
Santander to Malaga 2017.
Another opportunity to experience a country on two wheels, with a group of guys who
not only worked together but had done trips like this previously.
When a friend asked me if I'd like to join the group, initially I was a little apprehensive.
It's one thing to cycle from Barcelona to Monaco on what was predominantly a club trip for charity,
where you know a large percentage of the participants.
Quite another when you know less than a handful.
These guys didn't know anything about my life, how I'd lived with chronic stress, frustration, insomnia,
fought through burnout, depression, collapse, or that I'd almost died in an ICU just 3 years before.
I understood they'd be drinking alcohol, and that I certainly wouldn't be.
There is no getting away from your unresolved issues or inability to deal with what's thrown at you
on these trips; I knew I'd have to rely on my newfound ability to flow with life, and the new identity
I'd created, no matter what happened during our expedition.
The trip itself.
The trip itself, the mileage and elevation gain, I was comfortable with; it wouldn't be an issue.
775 miles with 420000 ft of elevation - 1247km - 12801 meters.
I'd invested a great deal of focus, energy, and time into becoming fit and healthy.
At 43, I was fitter than my medical team told me I could ever be.
They'd actually told me in 2014 that I'd not regain my muscle mass, recover from my internal injuries,
that I'd not be able to regain my health and wellbeing.
This is why I discuss changing on the level of Identity; doing this allowed me to become the version of
myself who lived life on his terms, without the constant competition or pressure.
There were times on this trip, as you can probably imagine, where digging deep, being competitive,
and wanting to reach the goal were crucial.
Enjoying the experience, connection, laughing, taking in the scenery,
absorbing the culture as we moved through the different regions,
these are the things I savoured and remember most.
Lost in Spain.
Beautiful Seville, where the plan for the day fell apart from the start.
Immediately, the cycling computer flashed and alerted: off route.
As a group, the guys had ridden the wrong way up an obviously recently changed
road system layout. I was a few minutes late loading my bag into the U-Haul trailer,
so I was forced to make a decision: do I ride against the traffic alone in Seville,
or do I follow the traffic and attempt to find the route using Google Maps?
I chose option 2, believing it was the safer choice.
Everything worked well until my phone decided to "die"
either due to the battery or the 40-degree Celsius heat.
My mind went into overdrive: we are lost, we are going to run out of water, this is a disaster.
Thankfully, after the work I'd done to find more capacity for balance, calmness, peace, and flow
within the system, to stop my thoughts, feelings, and emotions from hijacking me,
or immediately suppressing them, because I didn't have time to deal with this right now.
Up popped the thought that this isn't helpful; nothing will be resolved if my whole system is in panic mode.
You'd better make a plan. What's the worst thing that can happen?
The route was to Ronda, then onto Malaga to finish the trip.
I decided to cycle to Malaga alone, check into a hotel, contact the guys, and meet them for the journey home.
As I was cycling down the hard shoulder of an Autovía, I happened upon a couple of the guys who had punctures,
which led to another incredible day of cycling, taking in the sights, and enjoying ourselves.
To me, this was proof; I was now able to deal with anything life could throw at me without it becoming
a problem, no stress, frustration, anxiety, or the need for mechanisms to return to balance.
