This image is looking SE from about 3 miles up Geysers Road, from Red Winery. It is easy to see why it is so pleasing to bicycle in Sonoma County. I was eating the dust of six local cyclists who were going all the way to Cloverdale. It's a serious climb and I wasn't ready for it! Turned around here and took a picture. Turned out to be a 40 mile ride for me.So here it is, mid-March, and I'm beginning a serious training push. I am feeling good, although I've gained some weight this winter, and haven't ridden quite as much as last year at this time. I am definitely looking forward to that state of readiness that regular training produces. By the end of the month I need to be riding 125 miles a week. 12 hours total, bike + gym.
Last year's ride was both easier and harder than the first time. I knew what I was facing and was confident. I expected to ride the whole distance and understood the patterns of camp life, food, and pedaling. And so I was not at all anxious.
But it felt harder when I got going. In 2007 I must have had a lot more adrenaline, not knowing from hour to hour, or day to day, what was next. That had always been fun, in the neighborhood, finding new places to ride. But riding for the first time for 7 days in a row, I that uncertainty and the edge of anxiety that caused was a great stimulant! A little extra momentum. But last year, I was relaxed, even blase about the effort. And so, every time I climbed back on the bike, I would wonder "how can I possible ride another 4 hours?" And the thought was echoed in my heavy legs and aching arms and labored breathing. What was I in for?
But after about a half hour, when I dropped the thought, it was just like riding around home - a familiar effort, feeling confidence in my body, more attentive to the rider next to me, the view, or ... even the next feed stop! It became pleasurable again. So this year, I'm going to cultivate a healthy edge of anxiety, just to make it more exciting and easier ...
