I was telling a coworker about my weekend, and I said I went for a bike ride – “not an especially long one – just 6.5 miles.” I felt I needed to apologize for bragging about such a small ride. In my mind, I may as well have said “I walked to the corner store.” But she was genuinely impressed, in a shocked tone she asked, “that’s not a long one?” I had to pause. For me it was a long ride, for many people it’s a long ride. But in my mind, it’s a pitiful distance. I see friends talk about riding 30 or 50 miles like it’s no big deal. Compared to them, the idea that 6.5 miles would be a long ride is pathetic. And then I remembered – that mentality is exactly why I’m writing this blog.

Who posts about doing things? Enthusiasts, that’s who. If someone is posting about a bike ride, it’s because they ride a lot and devote a lot of time and resources to it. They are devoting lots more time and energy to it than the average person you know.

I’m not (yet) what one might call a bicycling enthusiast or a kayak enthusiast or even a general fitness enthusiast. What I am an enthusiast about is doing and trying things. Over time, as I do things more and more, I will certainly get better, faster, stronger. Just 3 weeks ago I got on a bike for the first time in 20 years. The first time I rode a 3.5 mile route, I thought I was going to die, and now that same route barely makes me break a sweat in the swampy summer D.C. heat. But whether I’m going 100 feet or 100 miles or anywhere in between isn’t the point. My modest achievements may not compare to others’ triumphant rides, but Do The Things isn’t about doing things that would impress a stranger — it’s about doing things, period.

I have goals, one of which is to ride to a good spot to see the 4th of July fireworks, which is about 5 miles each way to get to the spot I want to use. This isn’t an ambitious goal. I don’t expect anyone to celebrate this as some kind of amazing accomplishment when I do it. But I’m going to celebrate it for myself, because I will have done a thing.