Is It A Hill Or A Climb?

In cycling, and in life, there’s a big difference between hills and climbs.

Riding an incline is part of nearly every tour. In the long term, there’s no such thing as “flat.” As I’ve said before, a big part of life is just grinding up the hills.

Climbs are different. In cycling, a climb is generally defined as a stretch longer than 500 meters with a gradient of at least 3%. Climbs are categorized based on length, gradient, max elevation, and elevation change from “5” (easiest) to “1.” There’s even an “HC” (beyond category) that challenges the strongest pro riders.

Most people think distance is the big issue in cycling, but it’s not. A reasonably fit rider can travel a lot of miles on flat roads. The actual limiting factor is terrain–especially climbs.

I think life’s the same. Most of us do okay as long as the terrain’s not too extreme. Just like in cycling, it’s the climbs, those times of extreme adversity, that get us.

The accident that changes life in an instant. The relationship that falls apart. The loss of a loved one. Job loss, foreclosure, financial setbacks. The call from a doctor with the test result.

Those are climbs. They challenge you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Everything about a climb tells you to quit–the slow pace, the discouragement, the searing lungs and pounding heart, the sense that it’ll never end.

There’s no such thing as an easy, painless climb. Even the strongest riders-and the strongest people-are rocked but long, steep inclines. But there ARE ways to approach climbs that increase your chances of surviving, and even thriving, when you encounter a climb.

Remember: every climb ends. Even if you can’t see the top, it’s there. The enemy wants you to believe you’ll always be climbing, but it’s a lie.

It’s not a race. Reaching the top is a process, and you get there at your own pace-a yard or even a foot at a time.

There’s no shortcut to the top. The self-help books want you to buy a magic seven step formula, but the truth is you reach the top by following the difficult road.

You climb better if you’re prepared. Experienced cyclists say climbing never stops being painful. But the more you climb, the more you realize the pain is just background. As you become less afraid of it you can face difficult climbs with confidence. However, some people might feel chronic back pains that may not be easy to endure physically. Making use of medications or CBD oil from some of the top brands (check KamaDeva Yoga for more info) can bring some relief.

Some folks insulate themselves and their families from every possible form of adversity. They live in an isolated world where everything’s designed to go their way. It’s analogous to always training on flat, pain-free roads.

When these folks confront real adversity-as everyone inevitably does-they’re unprepared. They’ve no idea how to climb a mountain because they’ve never faced a hill. The first sign of struggle and pain overwhelms them simply because they have no frame of reference.

For followers of Jesus, this means we must live courageously. If we face fear and move forward, it becomes a habit.

It doesn’t mean we won’t be afraid. It means we can choose not to be controlled by fear.

The climb isn’t the whole journey. When you’re struggling, you get tunnel vision. Everything is centered on the climb. The whole world’s about your injury, your loss, your finances.

It’s a lie. And that’s what I want to talk about next time.

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We had a great, busy day on Tuesday. We started with one of the ten most beautiful drives in America, Owl Canyon between Flagstaff and Sedona. I’d originally planned to bike this road, but some local cyclists advised otherwise.

They were right.

This picture shows one section of the road. There’s absolutely no shoulder and lots of tourist traffic. I’m glad I was in the car.

Then we had a wonderful time speaking to the Sedona Rotary. Afterward we met a kind woman who helped Becky get an appointment in the dentist’s office where she works. The doctor diagnosed a gum infection and prescribed some meds to get us back on the road.

After a trip back up Owl Canyon we spoke again with another group of students from Chi Alpha at Northern Arizona University. It was a great end to a great day.

# # #

Tomorrow morning it’s back down the canyon to speak to the Sedona Red Rocks Rotary. Hopefully we’ll get some cycling in south of Sedona (oh, yeah, we’re doing a bike ride) before heading to suburban Phoenix for a Thursday breakfast speaking gig. And Friday morning we’ll speak to a Teen Challenge group in New River.

I said before we started that this was gonna be a blast. Thanks for joining the fun.