Yesterday I became a 'real' cyclist, so to speak (and I use that term very loosely with respect to the purists) by tackling one of the most daunting and technical aspects of the sport: climbing. Being from The Houston area, this concept is all but foreign. While we have some gently rolling hills, it has absolutely nothing on the steep, gorgeous slopes of Austin, TX. My cousin Bob graciously took me out for the grand tour of Austin yesterday for an intense and awesome 30 mile loop.
After warming up for a bit around the neighborhood, it was time to check out the sights and manage some pretty intense hills. And for this flatlander, man, were they intense! I got perhaps more out of this one ride more than any ride beforehand. While I believe I'm in decent shape on the bike, I had a couple moments where my heart rate skyrocketed on steep grade and that lovely thought passed through my head of "I don't know if I can do this". With a little regrouping mentally, a stabilization of HR and a downshift to the small chain ring, I acknowledged that this was a challenge I've never encountered physically and mentally and went a little easier on myself steadily pedaling up some hills where I could not see the top of in some parts. The good new is that what goes up goes down-up to speeds of 40+ MPH. Wow!
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| In no way does this pic. do justice, but blame the camera phone. |
To close this one out, of course I have to make some relation to the mental side of things...
An observation I made during the ride is that an example of how we grow as athletes and people: when we are taken out of our comfort zone and take on challenges we've never encountered before, the thought "I don't know if this is possible", etc may enter our minds. In this case, it's not that I had met my preconceived physical limit, but just a very unfamiliar stimulus. There are times when our minds tell us 'no', and it is up to us to say 'yes' and go beyond what you think you can do. This can mean different things for different individuals: whether it is a gnarly training ride, running a marathon, or putting ourselves out there in a professional or social situation. Here's my challenge for everyone this week: when the unconscious part of your mind says 'no', at least stop and question it's validity. You'll be surprised what you can do.
Westlake Hills-I'll be back-next time I'll go further!
Stay the course.
3 comments:
40 miles per hour???!?!!!!!! Wowzers! You were probably legitimately breaking the speed limit! AWESOME! Hahah.
It is true that we get very much stuck in our ways and anything else seems difficult. :)
I think you can call yourself a purist on the bicycle. I mean, you just happen to be awesome at swimming and running, too!
Breaking 40 mph for the first time is awesome, isn't it? Since you wrote about the thoughts of what may not be possible possible, this quote is one that I like on the subject, one which may accurately describe my own athletic journey.
“Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
― St. Francis of Assisi
Stay well, my friend.
When it comes to climbs, just keep pedaling! That small chain ring is also your friend.
Runners turned cyclists are definitely spinners and not grinders, so that cadence needs to stay up! It took me a while, but eventually you get a feel for how a climb should "feel" and whether you are in the right gear, and working efficiently.
Once you get used to the fact that your heart rate will slow down after cresting the hill, it gets easier to allow it to blow through your chest while climbing. There is definitely nothing like this in running (hills in running are not quite the same).
You gotta try and hit 50mph next!
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