How Ugly Was It? How do I know this Suffering?

It was pretty ugly! Add in a bike to the above photo...and we are set...more accurately it felt like the above photo!

I rode the time trial course for the first time this afternoon...and it was pretty ugly.  I have been sitting here trying to compare my suffering to other suffering that I have experienced on the bike.  It felt so familiar!  Yes, the ugly is called a hill and  yes it is a CAT 4 climb....but how do I know this suffering?  What hill do I know that I can compare this to?

I arrived at the Freightliner on 1-40 going west and decided that I would go make  new friends and discover what they were all about...since I will now be in the vicinity a lot and will have to use their restroom!  Also I wanted to make sure, in person, that I could park in their lot.  Sure!  No Problem! 

They are a national company that sits off major highways and they repair the big rigs and service them as they cross country.  They have expanded work hours so the truckers can come in at pretty much any time. They have a lounge where the truckers can relax and watch TV as they wait for their rigs to be serviced.

Everything in their lots was so big and my SUV looked very small in comparison.  I parked my "blueberry" next to an 18 wheeler and  had easy access to the frontage road where I would begin my own mini race to get an idea of the work I have to do...and it is a lot!

Off I went along a roughly paved road that made me think I had a  serious flat. No, not a flat, just a crappy road that bumped and shuddered at every extension of the pavement.  The jolting took its toll on the body and kept shaking loose my headlamp mounted on my handlebars and kept turning the light on.VERY rough road.

The first almost 5 miles were all uphill but not at a very steep grade.  More like a false flat although the road ran parallel to 1-40 and you could tell all those cars and trucks were going up!  And after the 5 miles, is where the fun began,.  I am being sarcastic.  There began a 2 mile downhill that was quite steep.  Due to the poor road conditions, I was hesitant to let myself fly....AND I realized, that at the bottom of the hill, I somehow needed to slow down and pull a uey...yes, that's right a U-Turn.  I gave up... given there was no traffic control and I had to stop and put a foot down, turn to look for traffic and begin again,...this time UP what I had just flown down.

It is this suffering that I speak of.  Yes, a  hill!  A 2 mile hill that seemed to never end.  I had no idea whether I would make  it up...but I am a stubborn woman and as my pace dropped down below unmentionable speeds, I began to talk out loud between heaves of breath...telling myself to have supreme optimism....telling myself to channel the focus of Cadel Evans...to find my rhythm...even if it was slow....to not  look to the top...just look a bit ahead. Later, I realized I knew this suffering...it was a longer Elena Gallegos climb ..and on a more shitty road!  Trying to push over the top...my pace picked up...that felt good....more and more speed as I crested the hill and went on a temporary downhill.  I  told myself I have to learn this course and take advantage of my weight on the downs and flats and push the speed. 

Somehow, after all that energy expenditure, I had a kick left in me. I knew my cardio was good,. That is when  I thought, "I like this distance, it is manageable for me."  I pushed and pushed and was going over 21 mph.  And in honor of Stephanie, I can say that there was an actual "roller" on the way back to the finish line  that I will handle better on my next attempt! 

So, sad to say, for me to meet my self-imposed goal, I will have to increase my avg. speed by 3.8 MPH.  How sad.
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Update on  Weight:  Given that it is that time of the month, I am maintaining my losses. "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments"  Jim Rohn