Dear Bike Buddies,
I’m thinking about you, and feeling a need to reach out, say hello, and check in with how you are doing? Personally, I’m feeling my instinctive desire to ride my bike with friends and promote Tahoe bicycle tourism coming up against the reality that the Covid-19 virus is highly contagious and in both CA and NV we are in a Stay Home policy to help reduce the spread of infection.
As avid bicyclists, we are likely to have strong immune systems and if infected with Covid-19 may not show any symptoms or appear to be a flu, allergy or cold. Current reports indicate that 25% of confirmed infected persons are a-symptomatic.
So what do we do when our desire to ride our bike, make money, and visit with family and friends becomes so strong that we are tempted to leave the house, return to work, and try to live our normal life during this time? Here are some thoughts for consideration. This pandemic is a global health catastrophe that can change the world from this day forward. It is already changing the ways we travel, work, recreate, learn and connect with others; and it isn’t a short term change. So what shall we do?
First, recommit to building your safe space now. Stock up on food, cleaning and domestic supplies. Reach out and connect with your reliable network of family, friends and neighbors to build your support team while continuing to practice public health guidelines.
Second, notice your feelings and thoughts and allow them to be fully experienced so not to be in denial or delusional. These feelings (i.e. fear, frustration, anger, anxiety, etc.) are natural responses during stressful conditions like now. Do not stuff them, but rather notice them, own them, and authentically share them with your support team to help move (release) the emotional tension these feelings can produce.
Third, realize no one knows when this virus will subside to allow us to return to our familiar way of living. Understand its effects/impacts, and other such future catastrophes, will call upon us, and our larger communities, to adapt to new ways of living for years to come.
What is clear to me is the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed a couple of new realities: our vulnerability to be infected by novel global viruses; our attitude this can’t happen to us; our inadequate public health system, and our infective and inefficient national leadership and preparedness to manage such a large scale/national crisis. I can imagine an outcome from this experience we will lead to improved public health policies, practices and supplies at our place of work, school and home moving forward. I will do my part to help make this happen.
I trust you are taking the necessary steps to be safe, connected and healthy. I would love to hear from you and how you are managing the tension between your desire to ride your bike and cope with the effects from this pandemic on our normal routines at home, work, school and recreation.
Stay Safe. Be well. Make Smart Decisions
Ty (The Bike Guy) Polastri
