Haste makes...

You know the saying, right?  Come on now, say it out loud...Haste Makes Waste.  Yes it does.  I am that guy...you know, the one who always comes up short when I am hurried.  By short I mean that I forget something...everytime!

You would think that after 48 years of existence, I would have that whole thing figured out by now, huh?  Well, that's just not the case.  I consider myself a fairly smart guy, but apparently I am not smart enough to figure out how to fix this lifelong problem.  I hate being late...for a couple reasons.  First, I hate to make others wait on me...it's just plain rude.  I also hate being late because when I am late, more often than not, I have had to hurry...just to get somewhere late.  As I have clearly illustrated, when I'm late, I forget stuff.

Today was no different.

Three days ago, when I loaded up my car with the things I just had to have for a 48-hour shift at work, I was unaware that 48-hours later, I would be rushing home to get ready for a mountain bike ride with two of my fellow firefighters.

That morning, I packed my food, my clothes, my backpack, my mountain bike, my road bike, my work-stand, my indoor trainer, my tool box, my cycling cleats, and a couple of workout towels...WOW!  You'd think I was heading out for a two week vacation!  Nope...just another 48-hour tour at the fire station.  

I know what you are thinking.  You are asking yourself (maybe even some of you, aloud) what's with the bikes, and all that other junk?  So here goes...I took my mountain bike, my work-stand, and my tools so that I could do a little preventative maintenance and cleaning on the mountain bike.  I took my road bike, trainer, shoes, and towels because I was planning to get in some 'miles' on the trainer at some point during my tour.  Alright, are we all on the same page now?  Good.

As I pulled into the parking lot at the fire station, I noticed mountain bikes securely loaded onto bike racks, on two of my firefighting brothers' vehicles.  As I began the daunting task of unloading all the junk, I heard one of the guys say "Oh cool, Jim got in touch with you about riding Monday morning."

Huh?

Apparently, the bewildered look on my face did all the talking, as Dan lowered his head and mumbled something while he sulked into the station...acting as though he had let a cat out of the bag that wasn't supposed to be let out.  Hmmm....was I being cast out?  What kind of underhanded, un-brotherly-like....then I heard Jim say, as he walked up behind me, "Oh crap, I was supposed to call you yesterday...good thing Dan did."  Okay, they weren't casting me out...they were just being their unorganized, unreliable selves.  Don't tell them I said that!

Well...48-hours and thirty-something calls later, it was time to zip home, drop of the road bike, shove some calories down my gullet, pull on some riding gear, and load up my helmet, mountain shoes, water bottle, and Camelbak hydration pack.  This process was supposed to happen quickly, as Dan and Jim were driving straight from work to the trail, and I didn't want to make them wait on me too long.  Remember that whole rude thing we talked about?  Oh yeah, and that whole forgetting stuff issue?

Today would prove to be no different than most other times in my life when I was making haste.  About fifteen minutes into my drive, I realized that I had forgotten my Camelbak pack.  No big deal right?  I had taken a bottle of water that I carried on my bike, so I'd be fine...right?  Not so much.

You see, I not only carry water in my Camelbak, I also carry an extra tube, a chain link, a multi-tool, a small first aid kit, and CO2...which is used in place of a pump, to inflate a flat tire.  What this meant was that I would be unprepared for an emergency...me...someone who makes a living being prepared for emergencies.  Haste.

Once I realized this I quickly weighed the outcome of two choices...turn around or press on.  I decided to press on, as their were others there waiting for me, and I was already running late.  I phoned Jim to inform him of my impending tardiness, and suggested that he and Dan take a lap prior to me arriving, and that I would meet up with them as they came in from their first lap.  The plan had been to ride two laps (7.5 miles each)...but I was actually going to take in a third, so I could get in the extra miles.  As the words left my mouth, I realized I had made a mistake.  If they elected to start before I got there, then I would not be able to take my third lap, because I would be by myself...without any emergency supplies.  Unable to pull those words back into my mouth, I simply said "Have a good ride" in response to Jim agreeing that it would be a good idea to get started without me.

As is turned out, I arrived just a few minutes after they left on their first lap.  It would take them nearly 40 minutes to complete, so I took my time getting prepped, then rode along the Tempe Town Lake, warming up my old, tired body.  Almost like clockwork, they arrived, just shy of 40 minutes.  Within moments, we were on the trail, pedaling away.  

About 35 minutes later, we returned.  I felt as though I had just warmed up, and was getting into my groove...then it was over.  Our return marked the end of Jim and Dan's second lap, while I had only turned a single, 7.5 mile lap.  I'm not bragging, but it felt as though I had just ridden my bike around the block.  My training was obviously working, but I knew that I would not be heading out for another lap due to my circumstances...resulting from my haste.

When asked, I quickly explained why I would not be heading out for another lap (actually two), and immediately, Dan said "Hey, I'll go another with you."  That was all I needed to hear.  At least I would be able to get in 15-miles rather than 7.5...even if my plan of 22.5 was a bust.  

So while haste certainly can make for waste...in this case, it wasn't a complete waste...only a partial waste of time.  You see, the area we were riding (Papago Park) is nearly an hour away from my home.  If I am going to drive that far to ride, I want to get in more than just 15 miles.

Thanks for reading, and remember...please feel to leave a comment below.  It makes me feel good to know that people are actually reading this.

Until next time...get out and ride a bike!