Happy Saturday! If you’re new to THE CRAZY QUEST, you may wish to read about it here. Basically, I’m tracing my journey as I attempt to answer the question: What would you do if you didn’t know you couldn’t do it?
This week of training: 115 miles
YOU HAVE TO CLIMB THE HILLS
In cycling, as in life, everyone likes riding downhill.
Riding down a hill is easy. You can go fast with little effort, and if the hill’s steep enough you can get a real thrill out of blazing along at more than thirty mph.
But riding downhill doesn’t make you stronger. Even if you pedal hard, it’s still too easy to coast if you get a bit tired. And the steeper the slope, the more likely you are to just go along for the ride.
A cyclist gets stronger by riding difficult terrain. It’s pointless to always train on an easy course, because that sort of practice doesn’t prepare you for the rigors of cranking up steep, demanding slopes. Climbing hills isn’t easy or enjoyable, but there’s not much choice. Hills are part of every road.
Every journey includes grueling stretches that simply can’t be avoided. I need to learn to face the challenges, and it’s best if I can see the opportunities to grow and learn that accompany every trial.
- Uphill is harder, but it’s the part of the journey that makes you stronger.
- On most courses, you spend more time going uphill than down. Get used to it.
- No rider wants to climb hills constantly. It’s okay to enjoy the easy sections.
- When you’re climbing a tough hill, do your best and know that you’ll be better prepared for the next one.
- You don’t have to like climbing tough hills, but complaining doesn’t help. Sometimes you just have to put your head down and crank away until you reach the top.
Given the choice, I wouldn’t have selected quadriplegia. Twenty-one years in a wheelchair has indeed been a tough hill to climb. But I’m certain that I’m a stronger, more compassionate person because I had to find a way to get to the top.
What have you learned from climbing a particularly difficult hill?
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