Achieving Goals

When I started cycling along the Rhine seven years ago, I did not set out to do the whole river.  I enjoyed the first chunk which was actually the same section that K and I did 2 weeks ago.  And so, I was motivated to do some other riding along the river while visiting R who lives just outside of Basel-- the start of the northern course of the river.  Over the next few years I rode other sections as opportunities presented themselves. I got to the North Sea and cycled the industrial portion at the north of Germany.  Last year I did the piece from Strasbourg to Mainz.  That just left the piece from Freiburg to Strasbourg.  There were intentions to do it in conjunction with some of the other adventures but it just never worked out.  So this time I deliberately left a few days open in the itinerary.

I did not ride up a 10% grade hill.  I did not swim in chilly water.  I did not run at all.  But I did make my way to the river's edge and cycle into a significant enough wind that it made whitecaps going up river.  I did ride around Strasbourg for 45 min till I finally figured out how to get to my hotel.  And I did do more (on an increasingly uncomfortable saddle) than the 80 km that Google said was the minimum distance. So I think that made me the top Canadian woman (65 to 69) who finished the north flowing Rhine on Sept. 2

Celebrate the personal achievements!