I'm going to try to help simplify the process of getting good at riding. I know I've written a lot of specific and technical stuff here. It's all stuff we need to know. On the other hand, it's a bit overwhelming at times, isn't it? Judging by some of the comments you all have left there's a certain amount of confusion on where to start, how to go about practicing, and so on. I feel your pain. Like I wrote in the last post, it's time to go back and provide some navigational beacons. It's kind of like traveling. First, let's just decide which city we're headed for and plan a general route. Later on we'll go back and fill in some details like specific roads.
Just to keep it fun, at least for me, I'm going to go into cooking mode. I find I've got a sort of skill in the kitchen. I'm even better at eating. Katie and I never thought we would turn into Foodies. In the non-snobbish way, of course. We're trying a bunch of new recipes and I'm getting fatter by the minute. Life is good in that regard. What I've discovered is that a recipe with more than a few ingredients immediately hits the "reject" pile. I like simple recipes.
Keeping things a bit more simple, at least less complicated, is becoming more and more attractive to me. I just hung another year on the wall and I'm feeling really tired these days. Even though you might not admit it, I'd bet money a lot of the readers here totally identify.
These days I'm pretty sure I'm looking back on more of my life than what I have to look forward to.
There's only so much concentration available in my brain cells these days. Concentration is a resource that needs to be used wisely and efficiently as there's little to waste and it takes so much effort to summon it forth in the first place.
Sometimes there are days when tuning out the world and taking a mid-afternoon snooze is as enticing as cold iced tea on a scorching hot day.
There are other times when I seem to have missed something. I'm left wondering what the heck just happened here?
Other days it seems too much effort to even get up and get dressed. Let alone try to color coordinate my shirt, slacks, and sometimes a tie. I guess that's a reason I like the Hi-Viz Aerostich jacket. It goes with about any color.
More and more I find I'd like to just find a spot in the sun and be left alone to watch the world go by.
I got close to a simple recipe when I found the principle of the 7 "P's". It goes like this.
Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.
That's a simple statement but it still has too many ingredients. Reference the above if you've somehow forgotten why I want to keep things simple. My brain is full, folks. Scientists who cut open dead people's skulls say that things we learn are turned into wrinkles on the brain. My brain must look like a dried prune by now. If I add any more wrinkles they will spill over onto my face. Did you ever wonder if an older person's wrinkles were just their brain's knowledge and wisdom overflowing out their ears and onto their cheeks?
I'm also getting old enough to totally resent being told what to do by somebody else. Not to mention arrogant enough to think I often know better. Feedback used to mean something to me. It's like when I used to look in the mirror and find I didn't like what I saw. I'd do something about it. Hit the gym, skip some desserts, get a haircut, shave, shower, that kind of stuff. These days I still do something about it. Just different stuff.
Now if I look in the mirror and don't like what I see I simply toss the mirror in the garbage can.
So here's my recipe for successful riding reduced to a few simple ingredients.
1. Ride with Prudence
2. Ride with Purpose
3. Ride with Precision
To go all Food Network on you, I add a liberal amount of Controlled Agression as a binder to hold it all together.
There you have it. Irondad's Three P's. Simple, but very effective. These are the navigational beacons that keep us headed in the right direction. Firstly we need to know where we are going and why. Details are then added as needed for the journey.
I'll share how to blend these ingredients into our riding as we go.
Miles and smiles,
Dan
