Priorities

05
Jul
2010
By

Last week a good buddy of mine said to me…“If you’re as busy as you say you are, how can you get out there for all those two and three hour rides?”. “Priorities, my friend”, was my simple reply.  In essence there are only three main ingredients that fill my days….Family, Cycling, and Work.  If I’m good with those three then I’m doing alright.  This blog contains a little bit of all three categories, so you know it’s definitely up there on my priority list.

Everything else gets done when I have the time, but the only thing on my mind each and every day is making sure that my core priorities get satisfied. But how do I do it?  Well, I’m far from having it all running nice and slick….there are definitely days when I don’t feel that I spent enough time with my family, or felt like I was running around in 10 different directions without really getting anything done.

It’s I’m a work in progress.

But what does seem to work is being totally in the moment.  When I’m working, it gets my full attention.  It’s my goal to spend each and every working moment being productive so that I can accomplish as much as possible during that time.  If I’m with my Family, I need to be 100% with them.  Not checking messages on my phone or computer…and being completely in the moment. When I’m on the bike….it’s all about the bike.

I do find however, that when I’m out cycling my mind is constantly coming up with cool ideas for posts, tweets, and also ideas for my day job as well.  I guess even Einstein knew where to find his inspiration:

I thought of that while riding my bicycle.

– Albert Einstein

I love being in the moment when I’m out riding, but I also really enjoy it when I’m out there and my mind is racing with thoughts.  I often wish I had a voice recorder with me to make sure I remember what I was thinking during a ride.

Us humans are incredible beings….if we push ourselves, there is so much more that we can accomplish.  With clear priorities, good focus, and passion we are able to take on the world.

And win.

Enjoy Your Ride

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  • http://marijolamarche.wordpress mari-jo Lamarche

    I experience the same thing when on my bike: during warm-up, my brain just freezes and then, tons of ideas for blog posts and tweets are bursting out! Sure is a great way to get inspiration but it’s hard to remember everything when I get home!
    Mari-jo

  • http://www.myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com Myrna CG Mibus

    My husband and I have been talking a lot about our priorities so this blog post comes at a good time for me. It’s hard for me to prioritize – but I also know that I feel too busy and don’t even take time to relax and read (and I’m a writer and am supposed to read!). For starters, I’m going to remember to live in the moment like you suggest and I’m going to follow Jim’s suggestion and read the 52 Tips for Happiness and Productivity – at quick glance they look helpful.

  • http://bikingtolive.com Bryan

    Darryl, great post. In fact, it aligns nicely with a re-ordering that we’ve (my wife and I) did in order to ‘get back to basics’ and make our lives simpler. I’ve spent some time the past few months (even before I left Dallas) thinking about what my priorities should be. For me, personally, they boiled down to family and health.

  • http://massivemtber.blogspot.com/ Clive Chapman

    Tempus fugit mate.

    Time is our most valuable commodity and we never realise it until it’s too late…

  • Mike

    You seem to have your priorities in order. That is very good for you. I have also thought that a bike recorder would be a good thing to have with me when I am out on my mountain bike.

  • http://taiwanincycles.blogspot.com/ Andrew

    People always ask if I get bored when I ride for hours and hours alone. I always tell them I would get real bored if the voices in my head didn’t talk so loud.

  • http://bikerly.wordpress.com/ Jim

    Albert Einstein was no dummy.
    The world needs a ‘bike recorder’.
    3rdly, this post reminded me of another…
    http://bit.ly/d86r0x (worth the read)

    • http://www.lovingthebike.com Darryl

      Thanks for supplying the link, Jim. I’m going to have to take a good look around Zen Habits…..seems to have a lot of valuable information.

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What’s the best fuel for an early morning ride?

Question: Out of habit, I’ve always eaten cereal (granola) before my morning ride.  For the last several weeks, I’ve been riding at 6am to avoid the heat, and eating at 5:30 am.  I haven’t had any stomach issues, but I am not sure that this is the best pre-ride meal strategy. My legs have felt heavy since starting to ride earlier.  My rides are 1.5-2 hours.  Should I eat less, something different, or nothing at all?  What do you think?

Kelli’s Answer: I think your pre-ride fuel strategy can be improved.  The issue with eating a moderately high fiber breakfast within 30 minutes of beginning a ride is that it will likely take too long to digest, absorb, and metabolize to provide any energy to your muscles at all.  And, what’s more, if the meal is setting in your stomach, you are increasing your risk of stomach cramps (but it sounds like you’ve been okay here) and a reduced bloodflow to your legs since your body is working at digesting.

Although many athletes feel like they need a full breakfast before a morning ride, I think you’ll have better result with less food, and ones that you can eat quickly and metabolize faster.

My first choice would be 2 Tablespoons organic honey + 0.5 – 1 Tbsp organic coconut oil (all straight off the spoon).  Why? These are fast-acting, quick-metabolizing energy foods.  The honey provides moderately fast carbs that act similarly to maltodextrin (moderately fast and longer lasting than glucose), natural enzymes to improve digestion, and antioxidants.  The organic coconut oil provides fast-acting medium chain triglycerides which are used directly by the mitochondria of cells (energy producers) without the need for bile or slow digestion.

Another option would be a sports food with a moderate amount of protein – something like a Clif bar. Or, a smoothie with 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 banana, 1 Tbsp honey, and water.  These foods will also digest quickly and provide energy during your ride.

And, don’t forget about 8 oz. of fluid.

During your ride, especially if high intensity and over 60 minutes, or moderate intensity and over 90 minutes, you’ll still need during-ride fuel as well.  With all rides in heat, you’ll want fluids and lytes!

Please send us your questions for our Expert Sports Nutritionist, Kelli Jennings to “Ask the Sports Nutritionist“. Kelli Jennings is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for healthy eating, wellness, & sports nutrition. For more information go to www.apexnutritionllc.com.
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