We Can Take It!

We get it already! We understand there is no such thing as an easy way. We learned that we can make it all but first we have to show resiliance, patience and to prove there is no quitting in our minds.
I can tell a story of determination and success when all this is behind us, for now I have a story that shows how tricky things can get in the path to our dreams…
As some might already know after leaving Munich we moved to a company apartment until we would eventually get our own place in Pforzheim. After all the search, visits and interviews we managed to get this great apartment in Stuttgart and started moving our stuff there in a relaxed pace. I planned 4 trips to Heilbronn and on Saturday the 17th we cleared almost all bags and small stuff and tragically decided to leave the iMac behind.
As the DSL router was not wireless we decided to use our iMac to share the Internet access with our colleagues and therefore we had a long Ethernet cable laid down on the floor, it was there for 2,5 months without a problem, until…
This last Wednesday was the last trip to Heilbronn for the small stuff and I would just leave the bikes, the car summer wheels and some other heavy or bulky stuff for Saturday. Once I opened the door my heart stopped, I stood there and I could not understand why our (outrageously) expensive iMac was lying on the floor face down over the keyboard along with the mouse… Everything else was untouched. A second later I thought “the cable!”, but why would someone have the most unfortunate idea to pull a cable from under a closed door!? Immediately we banged furiously on our “housemate” door but with no answer. With my heart still racing and my mind rationalizing the situation I turned the computer on but it did not boot, the wall was scraped and the screen cracked in the corner, a working, 4+ kg machine could not survive such treatment…
My heart pounded about the “why?!” and with my mind focused on finding a solution I packed the car and drove home, I was determined to find who did this act of plain stupidity or cowardness for simply not assuming it.
The next day, Thursday, in the morning and after one email I had 3 suspects aligned and all denying responsibility, as I was told.
Able to reach one of them I went later that day back to the crime scene for an “interview” with the prime suspect. At the first glance I felt something was wrong once I looked him directly in the eyes, but afterwards his arguments seemed legit and ruling out an incident (or plain stupidity) I was convinced he had not done it.
Friday, decided to get to the bottom of it I was about to arrange a meeting with all the suspects when suspect #1 called me. He then admits to have doing it and tells me about the accident with the cable, he apologizes for it and for not being honest and for lying about the whole thing, he says he will pay for the damages.
My first thought is “why?”, why do this things happen to me?
Then I think, what can I do about getting my iMac back (with its 500GB of personal data)? I think “how can someone lie like that in my face, I could not do it (I am unnecessarly honest).
And finally what I have been trying to take out of all this is “how will this make me stronger?”, “What can I learn from this?”…

This is still happening, the computer is now in the shop, it will cost(!) and I am pretty sure we will loose all our data… but what can I do, besides fixing what can be fixed, paying what can be paid (and get my money back) and forgive what can be forgiven?…

From line U2 of the Stuttgart Stadtbahn here is another “am-I-in-a-really-bad-movie?” adventure from us.

Riding Heilbronn Hills

Another ride, mainly to clear my mind after all the housing decisions and driving around. I decided to take it real easy and since I had only 2 hours left of daylight (cloudy and dark, but still daylight) I just headed to the nearest hill and made all the climbs I could set my eyes on and given the available time.

All I could think was that I have nothing to worry about, my problems will soon go away and I can proceed with having a quiet and peaceful life full of sport and health, and all good that comes with it. My mind wondered through another life where I would have another kind of job, sport-related, probably in the Alps surrounded with nothing but nature (maybe just a DSL line ).

Would it be a perfect life? I can only imagine, having fun for a living! But would I be able to support my family and have all I wish for? Maybe that is the tradeoff, maybe it is the price to pay for that kind of happiness or maybe I would have to wish differently… I used to say: “To be happy, either you can keep having more or you just start wishing less”. Maybe I was right, I am still trying to figure it out.

I rarely thing of the Alps when riding, not that I don’t aim at it, but it is not my immediate goal, I still have some 6 months of training before that and I must focus on getting fitter as the days go by. I will have my knee fixed and work on the cross-training activities: running and weightlifting.

Still not sure but this was probably the last ride here at Heilbroon.

This ride was just about fun and I am starting to feel more comfortable even on the “bad days” when motivation is low. I maintain a steady pace on the climbs and recover fast over the tops, have no physical problems and feel a bit stronger mentally. Have no problem recovering and can ride even after a painful run the day before.

Cycling Log - 20081115

Riding In Heilbronn

To comply with the quandary my life is in right now, I went out into the wilderness of Heilbronn. I got up, not as early as I should, and went riding, heading to the unknown and guiding myself with the natural visual aids my parents gave me: my eyes.

Cycling Log - 20081010

 

I headed towards the highest mountains around and was happy to find a nice landscape, the typical yellow/braunish forests covered with fallen leaves and always apparently moist. The typicality continued with the inhabited landscape and I was able to find some singletrails (and also some mud). I could see some evidence of mountain biking in the area, so, they exist and they are out there, somewhere (probably at work!).
 

Schweinbergturm

After getting to the top of the closest mountain I crossed the highway and pointed my wheel North decided to put in some kilometers and not worrying about all the troubles in my mind.

With a strangely calm pace I “visited” some small villages and I can say there is no place like this, even the smallest villages are bike friendly, clean and the most beautiful and organized places. At some point along the vineyards the landscape reminded me of Alentejo and some events I have ridden a couple of years ago. 

On my way back I headed for another hill covered in vineyards and took some moments to enjoy the loneliness and the extensive green and yellow landscape.

I can say something has changed and I am now facing the challenge in a different way, I now it is important to go out early in the morning and spend several hours on the bike, wether with climbs or not, it is crucial to be able to cope with an extended effort that should long for at least 4 hours and ultimately over 6 or even 8. If to this I can add some running and some weightlifting I think I will make it with a smile.

I took some pictures, but as usual they feel too far from the memories I kept for myself.
 

Looking for singletrails...

The vineyards

First Day in Heilbronn

Another first timer was an incursion through a drive-in, yesterday on my way here from Munich I had a quick (and interesting) detour to grab a bite at the KFC’s drive-in. It went well until the guy asked me something after me choosing the food, he asked what I wanted to drink but I didn’t get it the first time so I responded it is all… twice! Hehe, just another good laugh.

Heilbronn from my bedroom window

This first day/time in Heilbronn was nice, much nicer than the night before… Since I had left all the bed linens in Munich, when the cold night struck in I went grabbing some clothing, some more, and then more… then I finally fell asleep. I woke up to see this nice neighborhood picture on the right.

The day was short, just a walk in the city downtown (it’s a small city), lunch and a quick drive around to check the landscapes. The city is very different from Munich, no possible comparison, it is not so nice but also pretty quiet and peaceful. There were just a few people in the streets, real scarce, but I guess because being a national holiday.

 

Heilbronn - boat in the river

I am looking forward to move on to Pforzheim but I will concentrate now on getting the stuff I left in Munich, the choice will be renting a van and doing it one-shot although it will cost me… For now I will have to occupy my time with… something, but with the cold settling in I’m guessing… something… indoors!

From Munich to Heilbronn

So, after a few days of almost unbearable stress I finally made some progress out of the “starting-to-be-the-routine” lethargy. After some calls I got an arrangement to move to an apartment “near” Pforzheim. So after going to Oberschleißheim to get the keys and have lunch with the guys (I get this super good feeling about this people, feels like a really good environment to work and more, really good vibe!), and after cleaning up my “home” for the last year, there I went on the road, car packed to the roof and half a tank of gas, navigation system set and… los geht’s! 290kms of highway and more than 3 hours later I got to Heilbronn.

Sounds like fun and almost makes me forget about the stress I was in before having this sorted out.

I am looking forward to move on and start working on this new project, meeting more interesting people and having a peaceful productive and all-in-all good life!

Tomorrow is tourist day so I will post some pictures of the city. I have absolutely no idea of what and where to look, but I guess this has been most of the fun for the last year of my life!

Bis Morgen.

PS: I had to leave my bike in Munich, so I foresee no cycling training sessions for the next week or so… probably until I get the apartment issue sorted out. I think I will have to rent a van to go and get all the stuff I left behind in Munich… More on this later. But the point is, the Alpenüberquerung is not forgotten.