Thought of the day

[Randy]

Please feel free to share your favorites with us.

"Self-pity is an emotion reserved for quitters"

Randy

[Randy]

Deb:

Yes, good or bad, travel has been a part of my life for many years. No glamour in it, though. I have seen the inside of a lot of airports and hotel rooms, but not too much of the beautiful surroundings in many places.

So, in a way, my return to this part of my life is a good thing. A year ago, in the midst of the worst days after my injury, I was afraid to leave the house . I did not want to drive, was afraid of social contact. in a funk almost every day; I was in real despair. Heck, I was being told that I would most likely never be able to ride or race a bike again. I was unsure whether I would ever get back on a plane by myself again; I dreaded the thought.

So, yes, I am now resuming my life, and that means travel. I will not live in fear any more. However, I now need to find a balance in my life.

I'll be sure to let you know when I will be in the Philadelphia area. I will be in Northern NJ next week. It is a quick trip to visit with family. Next time I am in town for a bit longer I will be sure to let you know!

Randy

[Randy]

Guter Tag jeder (good day everyone). Grüße von Necarsulm Deutschland! (Greetings from Neckarsulm Germany!).

Yep, I am out of my comfort zone and doing a three-week business trip. But, hey, I am having a good time. No biking though, just running to stay somewhat fit. And I stressed my knee! Bummer.

Today's thoughts are about "courage". It is easy to be courageous when everything is going well. It is another thing to display courage when your world turns upside-down. Some fear is a good thing, but it should not paralyze you. We allr react differently to stress and fear. You, know, the "Fight or Flight" instinct. Well, I am not one to back down, so fight I must.

And so must you!

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.”
--Mark Twain

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.”
--Ambrose Redmoon

“God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight.”
--Reggie White

“If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone.”
--John Maxwell

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.”
--Jesse Jackson

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.”
--William Shedd

More tromorrow.

Be courageous!

Randy

[Randy]

I found this after my last post and had to share it!

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”
-- Mary Anne Radmacher

Don't unclip! Never give up. Keep padaling.

Randy

[Randy]

Another day in Germany. Probably walked over 6 miles today touring the Audi factory and the town of Nackarsulm. There is a nice bike shop that I visited. My only wish was that the exchange rate was a bit more favorable!

Some more thoughts about courage...

“They can't hurt you unless you let them.”
--Anonymous

“It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more 'manhood' to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind.”
--Alex Karras

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
--Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

“He lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realise.”
--Oscar Wilde

“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.”
--August Wilson

“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.”
Raymond Lindquist

I am on a plane for about 14 hours tomorrow. I'll check back with you all when I come up for air.

Be strong!

Randy

[Randy]

Some random thoughts...

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."
-- Edward Everett Hale

"The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you."
-- John E. Southard

"The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all."
-- Leo Rosten

"God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through."
--Anonymous

"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito."
-- Betty Reese

Never give up. Don't unclip. Keep pedaling.

[Randy]

Wow! Has it been a month already? Time passes so quickly! I did another race this weekend and did OK, sorta. I had a great time with son, Dan. So, as we enter the holiday season, we all have much to be thankful for. I will save the Thanksgiving quotes until we get closer, but here are some thoughts about "appreciation" as the appreciatiuon I have for all of you and your support, the appreciation of the unconditional love I receive from my family, the appreciation of a thing of beauty, like a Pinarello frame or a perfectly restored 1968 Shelby Mustang.

"We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes, 'Why did this happen to me?' unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way.” - Author unknown

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well” - Voltaire

“Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.” - Winnie the Pooh

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” - JF Kennedy

“I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have than to have things I am not able to appreciate.” - Elbert Hubbard

Be well. NEVER unclip. Never give in. Even if it gets cold outside.

Randy

[Randy]

Hey everyone:

Just two short days until Thanksgiving. How better to celebrate than do the Annual Turkeyday mountain bike ride hosted by several of the local bike shops. Up Harding Trail (dirt doubletrack) for 9.5 miles to the Main Divide and meet at Four Corners. Have a cup of coffee and a Hammer Bar, then head up to Modjeska and Santiago peaks (elev 5,900 feet). Overall, about 4,500 feet of climbing. Then bomb down about 13 miles.

Here is a random thought about determination and perseverence:

"Being behind in a race is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." - me

Never give up!

[Randy]

Today's thought is a short one...

Being better than your opponent is not the goal. Being the best that YOU can be is what really matters. If you know in your heart that you gave it 100%, that you could not have done any better than you did, then the scoreboard or race standings become irrelevant.

Never give up, never unclip! Make it up that 20% climb!

Randy

[Randy]

There are risks in everything that we do. While risk management is prudent, risk avoidance is no way to live life. Then you lose your life by default. - me.

He who risks and fails can be forgiven. He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being. - Paul Tillich

[Tamirra Stewart]

"I must learn to love the fool in me - the one who feels too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility and dignity but for my fool."
- Theodore I. Rubin, MD