“Bend for the bumps”

Bundling 2 toddlers into a car for a weekend away is not an experience I’d ever call “smooth”.

Add getting on the road about 3 hours later than planned, a very needed but shortened nap for the little one, and a 3 year old hell bent on being the loudest thing alive today, and I’d say we’re on track for un-smooth.

Half way into a 3-hour drive, things literally go to sh*t with the bub, the 3-year-old has had a gutful, and we’re a decent way from any food stops.

This kind of chaos can easily trigger me and bring out the cranks.

Eventually, the mess was (mostly) cleaned up and the grumbling tummies were being seen to. The chaos toned down, heart rates dropped, and I heard the almost forgotten voice of my high school sprint coach: “bend for the bumps”.

It was his BMX analogy, where riders bend their knees to absorb the bumps so they don’t get thrown off the bike. Head stays put, knees bend, bike comes up and goes back down, rider rides on smoothly…

It was his way of telling us to get back to training even if we’ve missed a day, so we don’t get “thrown off the bike”. Miss more than one, he’d say, and you’re on a fast slope to talking yourself out of coming back.

I almost got thrown off the bike today. And I almost got thrown off about 7,000 times with work over the past couple of weeks (definitely got launched skyward a few times).

Recognising that you can’t avoid being thrown off every time: as much as possible – absorb the bumps, and see if you can ride back down the other side ✌️