Bicycling the Katy Trail is always amazing to me. Cycling through tiny towns and fertile bottoms land, never too far from the Mighty Missouri River helps me adjust my attitude and tune up my gratitude. Just watching the corn grow, the river flow, spying the occasional deer, and hanging out with assorted trail creatures has always been good enough for me.
Saturday we set out on a 70 mile Katy Trail bike ride at 6:00 a.m. to beat the heat. With temperatures expected in the high 90's, we were prepared. We packed all the right ingredients to keep us going, trail snacks, camel packs full of water to maintain hydration, special jelly beans to keep the electrolytes balanced. All set, off we rode.
As the morning worn on, we hardly noticed the heat, creating our own personal breeze as we cycled along. Riding strong, we were optimistic about achieving our goal of 70 miles. We easily reached our halfway point, where we had the option of lunching in an air-conditioned restaurant. We went for it, and ordered what we thought was a modest lunch, another story altogether. Our water packs refilled, we were prepared for the return trip.
Back on our bikes, we headed out in the heat of the day. It took only a few miles to realize that we might need to rethink things. The transition from air conditioning to the midday heat was challenging, to say the least.
Knowing that we had the option of being picked up at any point along the way, we chose to exercise a little common sense. We cycled right back to the air conditioned café, and arranged for transportation home. In years past, we would have finished the ride in spite of the conditions, and probably arrived in a state of exhaustion. The law of the trail, I suppose.
But this time, we called the morning ride, Good Enough. We had enjoyed a wonderful outdoor experience. We had achieved 50 percent of what we set out to accomplish. And, we decided that given the extreme conditions, that was Good Enough.
As we waited in the air conditioning to be rescued, we talked about Good Enough. For many of us, those two words sound like an excuse or a cop out. We push and strive, not knowing when to say when. Not knowing when to say Good Enough.
I practiced using Good Enough the rest of the weekend, as we prepared for a family gathering, a situation that tends to bring out the whirling dervish in me. I let myself off the hook several times over the holiday weekend, doing my best and allowing that to be Good Enough.
Good Enough is a phrase I intend to use with myself much more frequently from now on.
