Slow and Steady

If you have been following my writings recently, you know that cycling is a passion of mine. Over this past season, I have been offered the awareness that cycling has become sacred to me and it has demonstrated itself as a form of spiritual practice. As such, I have embraced the teachings of my cycling adventures.

Last season I was blessed with the experience of cycling over very long distances. On one occasion I joined a group of riders for a 225 km excursion. While the outing was intended to be recreational in nature, with no competitive angle, there were numerous riders who did decide to make the event a race to see who could complete the 225 km route in the least amount of time. I had no intention of participating in the race aspect of the day. I simply wanted to enjoy the long ride at my casual pace.

When the outing started, many of the cyclists took off ahead of me in their pursuit of victory over this very long route. I simply settled into my comfortable pace and moving meditation on my bicycle. I had cycled with some of these riders before and knew that their approach to cycling long distances was to exert themselves over 20-25 kms at a time, and then rest for a while, often stopping for periods of 15 – 20 minutes, before resuming cycling. I, by contrast, cycle slower, stopping every 15 – 20 kms, but only for a few minutes at a time; long enough to enjoy nutrition and nature breaks.

As the excursion moved past the 100 km point, I noticed that I was passing some of the riders who initially darted off ahead of the pack at the beginning of the ride. These riders were stopped along the side of the road on one of their rests / breaks. At the 150 km point, I noticed that I was passing yet more of the riders who initially darted off ahead of the pack at the beginning of the ride. After more than 12 hours of riding, I finished the 225 km route ahead of more than half of the other riders; many of which had started their ride in a hurry to complete the route first.

I trust you have heard the wisdom teaching “slow and steady wins the race.” I wasn’t racing on this day, but I was cycling slow(er) and steady. As it turns out, this slow and steady approach allowed me to complete the 225 km route in a shorter time than those who approached the outing as a race.

My approach to cycling long distances is a metaphor for my life. No need to rush. No need to hurry. Just go about your daily life at a comfortable, steady pace. No need to exert myself unnecessarily. Life is not a sprint; it’s more like a marathon.

The experience was, and continues to be, an important reminder to be aware of how I am living my life. Are there times and places in my life where I dash off the start line with the intention of getting to the finish line first? Are there opportunities to slow things down a bit when I feel rushed and under pressure? Am I living my life like I am in a sprint / race?...or am I living my life to so that I may endure? These are all metaphorical questions. But you get the idea.

Sometimes hurrying and rushing does get us to the finish line first. But what I’ve learned from long-distance cycling, is that slow and steady will more often than not allow you to finish ahead of many, if not most, and be ready to hop on your bicycle and do it again the next day.

Robert Meagher has been ordained as an Interfaith Minister and certified as a Sacred Attention Therapy (SAT) Therapist. Robert is the Founder and Spiritual Director for Spiritual Guidance and Co-Founder of the Center for Human Awakening.