Picking up momentum from the last post; I was beginning to get into the mood of the bicycle ride having made it to the top of Sport Hill Road in Easton.
The day was dreary but I was feeling in top form. My little heart was pumping but under control. I had recently changed my diet around completely; much more fresh fruit and veggies, tofu and organic vegetarian hemp based protein powder as opposed to the whey animal based powder I had consumed previously.
When I go on long bike rides I go into the “zone”. I literally zone out. I fall into a rhythm. At times I experience a sensation that I am flying over the road. My thoughts become more clear. Much of my action becomes auto-matic, but also, I experience a heightened awareness of my surroundings. My breathing is heavy and my body becomes infused with fresh oxygen. Everything associated with my adrenal glands and my body’s natural endorphins become activated; not unlike using mood altering chemicals but in this case it’s my body’s natural response to extreme exertion.
After I reach the very top of Sport Hill Road I quickly begin the descent down the other side into Poverty Hollow. The thing with descents is that they can become very dangerous very quickly. I can reach top speeds of more than 50 miles per hour coming down off that hill. My eyes scan for uneven pavement, rocks and debris. The equipment becomes very important in these moments; are my brakes functioning?, are the tires inflated to the exact pressure so that I can absorb unevenness – yet take advantage of minimal rolling resistance?, is my positioning on the cycle appropriate for high speeds? I have special tires for just these purposes.
As I reach the waterfalls at Poverty Hollow I begin to climb again. My muscles have not yet fully recovered from the first big hill. I keep the momentum going and start up Meeker Hill Road in Redding. If one is not in pretty good shape this hill can destroy a cyclist. For me, again, it is nothing, or doable. I decide early on, this accent, what my pace will be. I decide which gears I will use depending upon how I am feeling and how far I want to push my body. I have all special gearing on my bike so that these hills are just a little bit harder, indeed there are special teeth on my front single chain ring – the teeth are called narrow-wide teeth, they grip the inside of the links to prevent slipping under extreme loads – such as when climbing Meeker Hill Road. The upwards grade is seemingly endless. I question myself with every peddle action. Heaving my body forward I try as hard as possible not to change my cadence. Every muscle of my body screams for more oxygen. The mental game truly begins on this hill. Why am I doing it? Why am I torturing myself? It takes everything I have to continue lurching forward throwing my body from side to side, holding on to the bars with my last bit of strength.
But then…I am at the top…Black Rock Turnpike…Redding Ridge is easily now within my grasp. My body shuts down a little to recover. My breathing slowly catches up. At once my body and my mind feel as if I am 20 years younger. I have a perfect sense of balance, physically and with my emotions. All the little day-to-day problems fall away. I am transformed into a new stronger more perfect being. There is a sense of well-being. There is no fear. There is only love and complete harmony with everything around me. The road is no longer a road but a thin film upon which I am soaring through Redding’s beautiful country-side….to be continued….
