Faced with a choice of a crit race at Brookwood Church or going with my best biking buddy(Teenie) for a 62 mile roundtrip from Furman to Saluda, I opted for the latter. Man, am I glad I did!
We went up at a pedestrian rate, often riding side by side, talking and enjoying the country side. We had a light meal at the Bakery(downstairs). We turned it back south and aired it out on the descent through the Watershed. We paced on River Road past the new Cliffs GC, being built on the Saluda River, and let up a little to recover on the stretch between Hgwy 11 and 276. Reaching 276, still feeling strong, we could smell the barn. Like a couple of race horses, Teenie and I were in a dead run. I pulled the downhills and the flats and Teenie took the front on the uphill sections. We remembered past times when these rollers meant pain and anguish, but not today. Today, this was pure joy!
I see myself as a bike racer, plain and simple. I love to race and train. Today, however, took me back to my roots. Like most people, before becoming a racer, I was a rider. I loved to ride bikes and I still do. No gun, no finish line, no time goal, no maintaining any HR or power band. We did not even have the pressure of a group pace...........just the bike, the road and the beautiful fall SC weather and country side.
We have a few more weeks of this before fall comes to a close. Don't miss it. The 2011 season will be on us soon enough. Fully recharged batteries will serve all of us well.
See ya out there.
RM
3 comments:
I'm recharging my batteries now and taking almost 2 weeks off the bike! Super excited to do a few other adventures so I come back rested and ready for 2011. I rode in a charity ride on Saturday and it was nice to do the shortest option. What, Weinacker not ride the 100 or 66 miler? Is she sick? Heck no, it is the off season, time to chill, take the bike computer off and enjoy the changing leaves. I encourage everyone to just ride, rest, try something new and enjoy life :) Glad you and Teenie are having fun!
That sounds like the ticket, and just what we were talking about recently. I'm finding myself so busy that I'm lucky to get one ride in a week, and I'm craving some time on the bike. Hope to get in a good one like that soon. Thanks for sharing - sometimes we need to be reminded of the enjoyment of a no-pressure ride.
Well said RM. I woke yesteday and my first thought was to load the bike and head into the mountains. Instead, I took time off and hiked Jones Gap with my dog Boone. When we arrived at "rainbow falls" I was stunned by the beauty.
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