Rolling Naked

Hood ornaments are for cars. Helmets are for cyclists.

I forgot mine this morning. 

Which was a shock. Given it’s an everyday fashion item. Grocery shopping even.

Funny it was not. 

Especially since I’d spent the previous day prompting casual suggestions to the teenage blondies who weren’t wearing theirs.

Problem was, I’d already rowed away from the boat. Time was tight to get to work. So I decided to take the chance. To be careful.

Fortunately my comfort was in a conversation I’d had some years ago with a couple who were cycling around the world. They too were rolling naked.

Helmetless that is.

When I asked them where their helmets were they replied, “At home.”
“Where’s home?” I asked.

“Amsterdam,” they replied.

No helmet laws there. It’s by choice.

Given I’d had my own mishap just over a year ago, I cycled cautiously.

“Not going down!” I repeatedly muttered to myself.

Guess it was the hair. I’d had a good wash and wanted to hit the follicles with the flattener before work. Gus up a bit for the day.

It was a really weird feeling riding without my helmet.

Thankfully I got through the day.

Rolling naked.
But I won't do that again!

Training Dips

Been flat out preparing for finals for the end of Term 2.

Had to give up my weekend rides.

That was tough.

My body is aching to sweat. Get the heart pumping.

All I’ve managed to fit in for the last four days is push-ups.

Lots of push-ups. And my row home. Oh, and my 10 minute bike to school.

OK, so all is not lost.

Can hardly wait to get out there and pump again.

Truthfully, I’ve come to realize. Exercise is something special. Something our body needs and my body loves.

Not going to beat myself up too much though.

This is only a temporary training dip.

To Think in Thirds

Notched up some lofty goals for myself last week. Proceeded to plunge into some serious time traps. Instead of beating myself up I’ve resolved to contemplate the week ahead in thirds.

I’ve read it and heard it before. When you’re running a race, for example a marathon - you set yourself incremental goals. The first third, the second, and then to the finish line.

Me, I tend to zoom straight to the finish. In my mind and in my theorizing at the start.

So I set myself up for failure if I’m not conceptualizing my reality.

This week is going to be about daily affirmations and a week in thirds.

Training, school (with homework) and work here I come.

Carving Time

Getting up at 5am is hard.

For me.

By 3pm I’m dizzy. By 5pm I’m awash.

There’s always more work to do.

But it seems as the weeks flow by, like the river running downstream. There’s no stopping time.

Training and working out time takes time.

I can’t stop thinking about June. Will I be ready? I want to enjoy the ride.
Today I heard from one of the organizers of the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer that there’s 2,500 feet of elevation gain on both days.

To which I replied (in my nervous voice), “What goes up must come down!”

Somewhere I read about the idea of developing a habit of doing side planks before every meal.
This got me thinking.

Workout goals for this week now include:

• Morning workouts (no matter what).
• Extra core at lunch – to include planks (during school).
• Push-ups on breaks.
• Gym (strength training) and a run Tuesday and Thursday.
• Hill ride sufferfest Wednesday.
• Bikram Yoga Monday and Friday (6am).
• Long rides Saturday and Sunday.
• Let’s see if I can fit it all in during the early mornings.

That way school and my part-time job during the week will also get 100%.

There’s also a few birthday parties to attend to on Saturday and Sunday.

Ah, carving out time...

Buying Time

Moments may mean drifting apart.

A soul might sing a different song.

Given the gap of a day, a week or a month.

We rumble on.

Not always thinking the same.

Maybe, wallowing away.

Not knowing.

Is it day or night?

When tomorrow comes.

What happened to yesterday?

We take what we have.

When it’s there.

What we’ve got.

Time Whipped

In Illustrator by Jane Victoria King

Are there enough hours in the day?
To sit and do nothing.

Does time pass us by?
Or stand still.

If we slow down.
Does it speed up?

When the clock strikes 12.
Are we half way there?
 
In a minute there’s an hour.
After today there is a week.

Before we know it, it will be Christmas.

Passing Time

Eliminated by night. We sleep.

As darkness awakes, we flood the gates.

Joy, sorrow - grief whatever awaits.

Tempted by fate our Universe dictates.

What does the soul crave today?

A crossing to bear for the most awesomeness day we can spare!

It’s up to us to set the pace.

To enlighten the way.

Which way in our day?

Hope knows the path. For the love to fill the heart.

Cope with the moments with glee and with smiles and glad thoughts.

The power of now is that point in time.

Phase through the enigmas of despair. 

Enhance the occasions for laughter and play.

Dialed by day, the sun scopes forlorn. Remember. Alone you are not. Forever and not now.

Like the fleeting age of a storm.

Count on the instances of fun!

A cursory departure of senses may frighten you now.

For the day when it is gone is lost in all time.

Till the light glooms the shadows of the slumber era due.

We’ve moved another clock. Twenty-four hours again.

To another day passing time.

The Habit of Time

Once I heard my son say sleeping was over-rated. I beg to differ.  I was trying to tell him he needed to catch up on his sleep.

“That’s impossible,” he replied. "You can never catch up on sleep."

The dog sleeps with his tongue out. Snoring. I profess to giving him a swift foot nudge when he starts to twitch at the end of my bed. It’s nice someone is asleep.

As far as scheduling out time though, here’s the thing. Should we be scheduling sleep?

Recently an associate asked me what time I went to sleep, what time I got up and what I did when I woke up first thing.

It got me thinking. Living takes time. Think about it. There's all this other time stuff like for example:

• Time to eat.
• Time to wash dishes.
• Time to vacuum.
• Time to buy groceries.
• Time to walk the dog.
• Time to shower.
• Time to check emails, Facebook and Twitter.
• Time to work out.
• Time to talk to friends.
• Time to meditate.
• Time to be with family.

And so on. Not including the biggest time suck of all - work.

I’ve been to known to answer in a stern voice when asked, "exactly what time will I get there?" (at my mother’s house for the family dinner for example) with, “I’ll be there when I get there!”

What about the time to just be? To space out. To vacate. To drift off. To go off into la la land.

Do you make any time for that -  in your habit of time?

What is Time?

A clock ticks

An alarm sounds

Seconds move

To a minute.

An hour passes

A day is made

The weeks blend

To a month.

Seasons change

A birthday comes

Christmas goes

Days grow long

The solstice sparks

A full moon shines

The sun awakes

To another day.

Slow Down, Sit Down, Shut Down

Time. I always seem to be rushing. I get tired of rushing. I know I’m not alone. I used to like the weekends where you could get up when you felt like it and do whatever your heart wanted to. Whether that meant reading the paper in its entirety, going for a longer then usual workout - the best! Or taking the time to make a big brunch breakfast.
I’m envious of those that I know that wake up and meditate before anything else.
If I got myself out of bed earlier would I take the time? Twenty minutes minimum is all I need. It would be THE time in the day where I would clear the head and completely shut down.
My brain is thinking about tomorrow, today. Every minute of my day is accounted for. Down time isn’t on the agenda. Neither is doing the dishes or the laundry. There’s no time!
I read somewhere recently where a community of individuals were advocating for a 25 hour day. Now how would that be possible given the sun up to sun down time ticker?
I’m already late for getting the workout done and getting to work. Not to mention arranging for more volunteer duties. Before anything else tomorrow, will I make the time to slow down, sit down and shut down?
I’m going to try adding it into the agenda.