From Ouch to Wow(ch)!
That Kind Kind of Blunt Honesty
About ten years ago, in Toronto for a speaking engagement for The North Face, I was at dinner with several of the local reps and some shop employees. One of the shop managers was sitting next to me, and when we started talking mountain biking, he mentioned he worked as a bike fitter in the summer.
“Oh cool,” I responded, “I’ve been meaning to get my bike properly fitted. I just got a new one last year and my back has been sore when I’ve been biking this spring.”
He looked at me for a second, tilted his head then gave it to me straight.
“You don’t need your bike fitted. You just need to get your back stronger.”
Ouch. Didn’t he know that I was a professional athlete? Of course I had a strong back! Didn’t I?
Embarrassed, I laughed off his comment and changed the subject, asking about the trails in Toronto.
When I got home and got back on my bike, I couldn’t get his comment out of my head. I sheepishly added a few core exercises and some supermans for my lower back to my weekly rotation, and tried to engage my core and sit up straight when biking uphill, to work my back muscles.
And sure enough, after a few weeks of biking and a few back-cercises, I realized that it had been a full 24 hours after my last ride and as much as it pained me to admit it, the absence of pain in my lower back meant that The Toronto Mansplainer had been right.
Now, if I had been complaining to a friend about this, they would have said, “You should totally get your bike fit! You have a totally strong back!” Because that’s what friends do. They have your back.
But every once in a while, the blunt honesty from someone who does not care what you think of them (and knows you’ll probably never see them again) can set a person straight, even if it hurts to hear.
Some links for the week:
I wrote about this same thing and another offhanded truth gift a long time ago on my blog, if this strikes a chord and you want to read more.
Glad I’m not the only one feeling this: Are You Experiencing Posting Ennui? Why social media feels less compelling these days, from The New Yorker.
We had a big 7 year old birthday here this week, and she requested a “coconut cake, decorated with a mouse riding on a hamster.” I did my best to oblige, and while this cake turned out moist, it has a thicker texture from the coconut. But the frosting (festooned with shredded coconut and small rodents, of course) is the real star! I baked it in a sheet pan instead of doing a layer cake, because it’s way easier and feeds more people. (Link to Ina Garten’s Coconut Cake recipe, Food Network).
Thanks for reading!
Ingrid
