I would like to be Cheryl in the Greenlandic bar playing “Space Oddity” to the Walter Mitty within me that gets scared at the edges of adventure. Using my chords and voice to propel me out of the chair and to jump into the moving helicopter.
Courage and thirst for adventure.
Not 70 miles.
Not 35 miles.
Not even 15 miles.
It’s 5 miles. Drink of water. 5 miles. Drink of water. 5 miles.
When the road turns uphill, when it begins to rain, when the gears aren’t sticking; you have to find a way to do something hard without fixating on the fact that it’s hard. This is the desired mindset: putting yourself in a position to succeed the long haul, by making it manageable in the mind.
At the base of this is brain chemistry.
We feel the way that our brain feels, and that comes from a collection of neurotransmitters hooking to various tipping points. Exercise—endorphins. Smile—dopamine trigger. Gratitude—more dopamine. The power of the endurance athlete is being aware of how to emit these neurotransmitters at pivotal points in order to keep going.
Break it down.
Mandolin Miles 