This is the end of my third year cycling and the learning process, constant possibility for improvement and never ending challenge are what motivate me to keep going. A year ago I rode the Hincapie gran fondo and if you aren't familiar with it, it has three hard climbs separated by lots of rollers. It's 80 miles and 8K climbing. The first climb is 24 miles into the ride and is 3.95 miles long and averages 9%. This climb alone last year did me in. Averaged 170 bpm for 40 minutes with a max of 183, my max to date. I was toast the rest of the ride. This year I had been building on a progressive program and felt much better going into this ride again, yesterday.
Anyway, I worked my way into the climb starting conservative and smooth. Slowly increasing my pace throughout the climb I realized I was smiling and in a pretty jubilant mood. I'd chat with folks as I passed and all the while smiling. I was having a blast and this was the most fun I have ever had on a bike, the climb seemed very easy and I bettered last years time by 4 minutes. One guy I passed said I was making it look way too easy, and on this day it was. I was in such high spirits it carried me through the next two climbs with similar joy, although the second climb is a brute. Went into the third climb thinking I'd only cruise since I had maybe used a little too much on the first one, but the legs came back and I sailed up it as well. Now, I am by no means a good/fast climber, but the feeling I experienced while tackling it was something new.
I have read many times about positive feelings and thoughts giving a positive outlook and outcome but this was much more than imagined. I went into the first climb in a neutral state mind just wondering how it would go and if it would kill me again. But, as I got into it the legs were feeling good and I started to up the pace. That is what brought my thinking of it into a positive light and from then on I was very happy.
Each person I passed I tried to share the positive emotions with and that fed me even more. This will feed me through the winter...
Do you guys/gals have similar stories from your years of riding? Feel free to share.