Riding Tandem

My friend, Andrea, and I have been planning to go ride bikes since the weather got warm

We kept saying we'd go, and then the week would be over and we'd start again.

Finally, we made it happen.

We set up a time and put it on our calendars.

The date was set.

I didn't really know what to expect other than she told me she had a tandem bike we could ride.

So my first thought is that we'd be riding a cruiser tandem with pink baskets, and take a lovely stroll around the neighborhoods and chat the day away.

I had told her I saw this AMAZING tandem street bike at the bike festival over the weekend and she chuckled as she told me that's what she had.

Immediately I knew I was in for a workout and treat.

The beautiful morning came and we set out for North Logan.

We unloaded the bike off the trailer, got our water bottles set and helmets adjusted.

She put on her sweet rearview mirror on her glasses,

and we took off.

Suddenly she realized that tires were flat and we needed to circle around and pump them up.

Again, we prepared ourselves and took off.

Side note, I have a fear of riding fast on bikes.  I had two terrible bike accidents as a child and left my face mangled and sent me into surgery.

I have always wanted to race bikes, but thought that it was something I'd just admire because I'd probably crash and couldn't do it.

Andrea was on the front of the bike, steering and leading,

 and I was the back just pedaling my little booty away to try and keep up with her.

We rode up through some neighborhoods and found ourselves on a very slight hill.

She probably thought I was going into cardiac arrest as I panted and deep breathed in and out trying to pedal uphill.

We finally made it uphill and then she wanted to show me some other areas, so we headed for the bigger hills.  I had driven up this one area, and actually thought how hard it'd be to bike.

That same hill, she wanted to head up.

EEK.

I saw it and she said, "Ok, I'm gonna really need you to push hard.  We're gonna do this!"

I just yelled, "I can't look!"

"Keep your eyes on the ground or on your feet and just give me all you got!" She shouted.

She steered and my legs were on fire.

I kept saying, "You can do this Alicia! You can do this!"

We made it up about half the hill and then she turned the bike around and said, 

"We'll get this one next time!"

My heart leapt for joy and I thought, phew. I'm exhausted.

We started pedaling as fast as our legs would go and then coasted for a good couple of minutes.

She clocked us going at 31mph.

The wind in my face, my achy legs taking a rest and the beauty of the countryside was around us.

I could hear the birds singing and I just felt like life was perfect.

We zoomed past cars and they admired our awesome teamwork and bike, and I didn't want it to end.

We rode probably for 40 minutes, pedaling for the majority of the time.

I was exhausted and also so invigorated that I didn't know if I was ready for our ride to be over.

There were times that I was thinking, I'm so glad she is steering. I wouldn't know where to go, how to take this turn or that turn, what was in front of me or behind me.

She was a great leader and showed me that her sport was a thrill and beautiful.

When we pulled in to load up our bike, I was already making arrangements to go again and how I could prepare myself.  Squats and lunges, leg press and cycling at the gym.

I'd be ready for that hill next time!

We snapped a pic and headed home.

Throughout the whole ride, I kept feeling like I needed to take note of what was going on.

The gospel principles kept ringing through my head.

And I was able to put together an unrefined analogy.

First, my dear friend Andrea has always something insightful to say. She's a great example to me.

And when she invited me to "Be Friends" I was excited!

I knew much was to be learned from her.

So there was a desire from us both.

She wanted to show me the ropes, and teach me the beauty of bike riding.

And I wanted to be her friend and face my fear and do it.

This is similar with us and our Heavenly Father.

He wants to be with us, to show us how to do things, and show us the beauty that life has to offer.

We need to have a desire to have Him in our life.

And then we must act.  

We must plan to meet with Him, to set aside time where we know we can learn from Him.

Second, she came prepared to lead me.

She knew I was a beginner bike rider.

She armed herself with a rearview mirror to see any dangers that could happen.

She adjusted my helmet and checked out the bike for any future danger.

She also was in front of me, guiding me, directing our paths, and knew when to apply the brakes when we needed them.

Heavenly Father is our rearview mirror. 

He has given us the tools to arm ourselves, to make sure that we are in tune and aware of potential spiritual dangers or trials.

He is the head of the bike. 

He steers us, and takes us where we don't even know where we want to go,

and shows us how beautiful our life is.

Third, when we headed up that steep hill, there was no warning other than, "This area looks familiar, BAM, there's THAT hill!"

Andrea cheered me on, helped me focus and when she knew I was struggling, she guided us around. I am sure she knew that I wouldn't make it up that hill, but she let me think I was going to and let me go as far as I could.  

She saw my efforts and then guided me away.

How many times do we have trials where our spiritual legs are burning?

Where our legs just want to give out and we wonder, who put that stupid hill here anyhow?

When we realize that the strength we thought we had, all of sudden is a giant weakness?

I know Heavenly Father will give us trials, it is just part of our Earthly ride.

And He will be there to help us, to cheer us on when we head up a steep hill.

I also feel that Heavenly Father will let us use our agency to make our own choices.

BUT, regardless of where we get ourselves, He will be there when we decide we need Him.

He will help us turn around, and give us the best coast you could imagine.

When we turned around to just coast down that hill I once wanted to curse at,

I smiled (with my mouth shut) and just enjoyed how hard we had worked to get up half of it!

We could now enjoy that hill, and I enjoyed the beauty around us.

Again, I'm really grateful Andrea was leading us because she applied the brakes slightly when we were going to fast, and guided us to that we wouldn't slam into garbage trucks or cars at 31 mph.

Sometimes, when we are on our easy ride, just coasting along,

we can lose sight of how important it is to stay close to Heavenly Father.

We think our life is going great, life can't get better, and if we are not careful, we can run into danger and get seriously hurt.

I know there are times in my life that I feel I can't do something.

But when my desires are good, when I can find courage to believe in myself,

I will find a new passion, new strength to do more.

Bad lighting, we know, but its still my trophy!

At this time in my life, I won't be able to invest in street bikes and padded pants and everything else I'd need, but I do know I've tried it, LOVED it,

and I am no longer terrified of street biking.

I know how to prepare myself for tough journeys, and as I strengthen myself physically and spiritually, I can do hard things!

Its a beautiful thing.

My challenge to you?

Find one thing you thought you'd love to do, but thought you'd never actually do it,

AND DO IT!!

From sewing on a button,

running around the block without stopping,

or signing up for your first 5K (me).
Find it, conquer it (even if its not pretty)
and do it.

I can promise you, you will find an inner strength and learn something about yourself you didn't know.

Now get!