Green Eggs and Ham

I know, it's been a while.

I've had a few tough sessions since my last blog post and I might just be slightly embarrassed that last time I was here I talked up how well my training was going.

I'm over the shame though - after all tough sessions are a normal part of Ironman training, and I have a kit bag of coping mechanisms to get me through. I've recently added Green Eggs and Ham to my arsenal. Strange but true.

Last weekend I had planned a 120k ride up to Scarborough and back and then over the Gateway bikepath to Wynnum / Manly. About halfway through things were going a bit pear shaped. Not in a terrible way, I just wasn't enjoying myself. It had rained, it was windy, and I just wasn't digging it too much.

I knew that if I passed back by home to pick up new drink bottles like I'd planned that I'd be more likely to lie on the couch than get back on the bike.

When it's hard like this, particularly when it's hard mentally, random stuff pops into your head and sometimes it's hard to get rid of.

About the time that I was thinking about how much I wasn't liking my life right now, I heard these words in my head:
"I do not like them Sam I am, I do not like green eggs and ham."

Of course I couldn't remember the entire story, but I remembered that the character was obstinate in their dislike of the questionable dish:

"I do not like them anywhere!"

Despite the lack of fun I was having, I adjusted my course to avoid the lure of the couch and ended up doing the 120ks like I'd planned. It was slow, and I didn't like it, but I did it.

By this time - curiosity had the better of me and after the ride I of course Googled "green eggs and ham words".  Turns out that the story has a different ending that I expected. After talking about many situations in which they would in no way like green eggs and ham, the character actually tries them. And likes them.
"I will eat them ANYWHERE! I do so like green eggs and ham!
Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-am!"

It just goes to show that you can very easily fall into negativity, and if your mind lets you, you cling to it easily. But if you open your mind, or try something different, you can just as easily talk yourself out of that negativity. I liked that idea a lot.

Yesterday's long ride was 100ks of hills. A loop of Mt Coot-tha, up Mt Nebo to Mt Glorious Village, then back along Gap Creek Road and through Kenmore. 2,546 metres of elevation gain in all.

For those of you who aren't locals - it was hot yesterday. Really hot. A friend told me the apparent temperature was over 40 degrees while I was riding (according to the BOM the maximum yesterday was mid 30s).

So yes, it was hard and at times I did not like it. Anywhere. I don't think I would have liked this ride in a tree, on a train, or with a goat. (You have to read all of green eggs and ham to get this.)

I did think all of these things when I was riding, but when I did, green eggs and ham helped me changed my mindset. I knew that my negativity was all in my head and was up to me to either perpetuate or otherwise.

I got through the ride. It was an adventure, and I prevailed.

"Thank you, thank you Sam I am!
Thank you, too, green eggs and ham!"