Guest blog: Rise to the Challenge

Halfway through the National Bike Challenge, Lincoln’s residents are doing a great job of logging miles. We checked in with one rider, Michaella Kumke, who has been posting daily updates on her journey. It’s an inspiring one! Have a story to share? Contact us! -Elisabeth

Rise to the Challenge

by Michaella Kumke

The trails were slushy and sloppy after an overnight, dusting of snow. It wasn’t more than an inch of accumulation, but did I really want to bike to work in that? I mean, I could just get in my heated car and go. I wouldn’t have to don layers of clothing, strategically pack my bag and leave my house in plenty of time to travel almost five miles only to change clothes once I arrived so I would be dressed like a working professional. Yet, I stepped up to the challenge and got on my bike.

The moment I saw the footprints and tire tracks ahead of my wheels I felt reassured by my decision. I could do this. I had to do this. I made a pact with myself just one day prior that I would, so I couldn’t quit already.

After taking a “selfie” and impulsively posting it to my Facebook wall with the description “Day 1 of the Bike Challenge,” I launched an unintentional campaign for cycling. That was May 1st. Now, more than 70 days—and even more photos—later, this impulsive act kick started a successful and rewarding attempt at personal accountability that has spread to others.

 

During the 2012 National Bike Challenge, I tracked a meager amount of miles. So when the Challenge started again this year, I decided after snapping that first photo I would get on my bike every single day, even if only for a short jaunt, and ride. For more experienced riders—commuters, fitness riders or competitors—this may not seem like a big deal, but to me, it was.

 

What I experience while on my bike more than makes up for the time I would spend driving my car to work or other stops. Besides, the savings really isn’t all that much; maybe 8 minutes at best on my work commute. Here’s a glimpse at some of the highlights from my challenge so far:

 

Day 6, a father patiently coaching his daughter to ride without training wheels

Day 10, the waning hours of my single life and the anticipation of something even better

Day 16, feeling a true sense of being present and belonging

Day 28, a nostalgic visit to City Campus, a reminder of lessons learned and achievements since

Day 33, silly games I sometimes create to motivate me to ride

Day 36, getting an amateur sense of how it might feel to ride in a professional race line

Day 44, quiet opportunities to enjoy art and natural beauty along Lincoln’s trails

Day 46, hues of a nighttime summer sky I wouldn’t have noticed even through my car’s moon roof

Day 48, appreciating the opportunities for solitude and clarity a bike ride brings

Day 55, even a surprise downpour couldn’t dampen the joy I feel on my bike

Day 61, the day I started to entertain selling my car and replacing it with a second bike

Day 66, disappointment in USA-holes who littered the trails and streets with their 4^th of July “patriotism”

Day 68, the reality that my bike time often awakens my senses to my surroundings

Day 73, perhaps one of the most rewarding days yet. A colleague asked for my input as she prepared to purchase her own commuter.

I take joy in learning that my personal challenge has become personal for others. Since I started this haphazard endeavor, at least seven people have informed me they have decided to ride their bike or purchase a bike, inspired by my Bike Challenge posts. I think that’s fantastic.

 

I am not a person lacking in reasons to smile or laugh, but I know I do more of both these days. Without a doubt, a portion of that increase is a direct correlation to my increased amount of cycling. I love seeing fellow bicyclists out and about on the trails and streets. I love exploring this community in a slower, more intentional way. I love the rewarding sense of accomplishment that comes from arriving home with a Great Plains headwind taunting me the entire way. I love that the Lincoln cycling community is one undeterred by challenges, and that in fact, we rise to these challenges powered by passion and a love for something good.