For years I have driven the steep and twisty road up to Sundance and passed cyclists chugging their way up that seemingly interminable hill. I always thought to myself, "What a bunch of bad-asses". Seriously, you have to be in pretty good shape to tackle a hill like that. I secretly wished that someday I would be in good enough shape to bike up Sundance. Well, today was that some-day.
I started this morning at my house in Spanish Fork, rode through Mapleton, Springville and Provo to the mouth of Provo canyon where I started to climb up to the turn-off to Sundance and the Alpine Loop. I did take a quick pitstop at Vivian Park to relieve some fluids and replenish others. Once I got on the Alpine Loop Road, I just started chugging. It wasn't necessarily pretty... I had to kick it into my lowest gear and I was leaving a trail of sweat behind me. But I did it!
In fact, not only did I get to Sundance but I continued up the road another 3 miles, past Aspen Grove to the parking lot for the Timp hike. I probably could have ridden further but the road was closed. Coming back down that hill kicked ass! I was going so fast that it was almost a little frightening at times. I don't normally ride with a helmet but I brought one along today precisely because I knew that I was going to be cruising down this hill. Of course, at the speeds that I was going I'm not sure that the helmet would have done much good.
I was pretty damned proud of myself on the ride home. My legs were sore and I was riding a little slower than usual, but damnit, I held my head high :) And just then when I was feeling like I had conquered the world, a car full of kids drove by and shouted, "Fatass!" as they passed. I know that I shouldn't have let it bother me, but it kind of hurt my feelings. I was more than a little pissed off. Eventually I calmed down though and decided to take it as a brutal but valid reminder that as far as I've come I still have more to go.
Oh, by the way, the ride total was 60 miles today. It wasn't the longest ride that I've been on but it was one of the most challenging ones.
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4 comments:
I seriously don't think those kids had any logical reason to call you a fatass; they probably would've yelled it at anyone, including the most anorexic of bikers.
Okay here is the plan. I ride all summer busting my ass. You keep on keeping on and next year we pick a incredibly kick your ass moutain and we both do it.
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So much for my Ascii art :( That was a mountain by the way
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Wow!! I didn't realize you were getting into the self-propelled bikes, too! That is awesome. I was once a dedicated bicyclist. I went on a couple of long rides with the girls at church. But mostly, I had to ride because my kids always needed the car...You go! Hoo-ah and all that other rah-rah stuff. I'm envious. I need to get back into that.
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