13/03/2024
Pushing BEYOND PERSONAL BOUNDARIES as a Team
After 10 hours and 9 minutes and 109KM later there were 8 of us who came back to the same location as we started.
The ride aptly titled හෙමින් පදිමු එකට පදිමු 100 යයි (Let’s ride slowly but together 100KM) was the second gathering of the Brandix RITE Riders Club for the past 3 months.
Ride saw 15 of us starting the journey at 6.45AM. Our route covered Rathmalana, Piliyandala, Kesbawa, Pokunuwita, Horana
Few key lessons from this ride
1. Leadership - Dilhan Fernando ‘s unwavering determination to bring together the group for this ride. He’ll call you six times a week to ensure that you are present and he stays through every moment with each rider. Cheerful, chirpy nature kept all of us going right throughout the ride!
Nalir Mohomed our captain! Given his very very high standards, witnessing his passion to ride at our pace for an entire day was truly remarkable! He mapped the route (through many solo rides on his own before) and seeing how we responded to some of the hills on our way to Bulanthsinhala, prompted us to change course so we do not find return journey predictable.
Having had close contacts with him throughout the journey, his determination and constant motivation to do the next 10KM to to see through most of of cross the 100KM mark was also a master class.
Lalith Bandara being there for more than half of the ride inspired all others! When you have a CEO cm Board member riding with you taking care of most things, neeedless to say the inspiration it generates.
2. Conquering inner demons!
Nadeesha Paranagama this was her proper second ride and also on a borrowed bike!(to impress upon the fact she’s not a regular rider!!!!!). Guess what she did 109KM! Every climb, every hard stretch we came across and for 10 hours continuously she was there peddling her way through the impossible. What a rider, what determination! Phew!
Yashintha Bakmeewewa this was her first ride with the team and completed 35KM proving of there is a will there is certainly a way.
SELF - As for yours truly, coming out of a bad flue and cold and still having serious form in the system putting 50KM was the personal target.
3. Break down the task in to smaller chunks
However Nalir Mohomed and Dilhan Fernando was so caring in their approach I just had to push my body beyond what I through was physically possible. There were many upward slopes that I thought was impossible. In fact in one I almost threw the towel and decided to call it quits. Rather than waiting for the back up bus to come along something inside told me to walk up that stretch. Boy I’m glad I did walk that 80M or so because after that I peddled again and never looked back. There were many moments I felt like giving up. But when you take the long distance and break it in to smaller chunks and attack 8-9 KM segments at a time, impossible becomes possible!
