The Art of Soft-Pedaling

 When I first started cycling, I often found myself either pushing my pedals as hard as I could to keep up, or being at a complete stop.  It seemed that there were basically two speeds that I had and this made many of the rides I went on quite exhausting.  No momentum to help carry me along, purely stop and go.  Over time I learned how to soft-pedal.  This takes place when you are in an easy gear and although your feet are moving, the pedals aren't really generating any power.  You continue to move while your speed gradually decreases.  Although you aren't generating power while you are doing this, you are also still in motion and if the light changes or you have caught your breath, you can then increase your gear and begin to pedal in a more productive way again.  

So, you may be wondering why does this matter (and also why am I reading a blog about this?!?)?  On a ride the other day, I started to think about how this skill was something that could be employed off the bike as well.  

Regarding situations from a very black and white perspective had been a go-to of mine for many years.  Being very binary in my thinking led me to reactionary responses and closed-off thoughts which all conspired to hold me back, much like the stop/start rhythm of my earlier cycling days.  Being so on and off while riding becomes exhausting, as you are constantly required to generate power to get your momentum going again, only to slam on the brakes and come to a standstill.  Living your life this way can also have a similar effect.  Learning how to find the grey between two extremes and allowing yourself to regroup and consider your next move is much like soft-pedaling a bike.  You are still in motion and because it isn't requiring a lot of power to maintain, you are able to recover and regroup before you once again pick up speed.  From experience, I have found that the decisions I have made while being in the grey tend to be more in line with my true wishes than the reactionary ones I have made in the spur of the moment.  

There is an amount of grace required to soft-pedal that is often overlooked.  It requires an ability to ease off just enough to keep your motion fluid and yet allow yourself that break from exertion.  You won't always get it right and might find yourself spinning furiously, resembling the Wicked Witch of the West, but with practice and time it will start to come more easily.  There will be an intuition around just which gear to be in and what the cadence of your pedal strokes should be.  Similarly, learning to shift your thinking from binary to fluid comes with practice and trust.  A belief that you can exist in the unknowing and still maintain momentum.  A sense of calm certainty that comes from listening deeply and moving through uncertainty towards the truth that is waiting to be acknowledged.