Cycling Steiner Ranch

I took a different route today. Instead of my normal rides I chose to focus on hills. Feeling a little groggy I decided not to go all the way down to Mansfield Dam but turn into Steiner Ranch instead. I have never been down these roads before so I found myself going at a slightly slower than usual pace - not much really but down these steep hills I did grip the brakes tightly. My back didn't hurt when standing up on the bike so I pushed myself to be stronger on the inclines. It was a beautiful day but at these heights the greatest challenge was the crosswinds. As soon as I cleared a group of trees or a building the winds came hard and fast over the tops of these hills. So hard sometimes that I thought I was going to blow over.

The views were beautiful. I still feel the need to compete somehow with the landscapes that Cindy enjoys while cycling Charlottesville, VA. These are a few that I took with my phone. I now take my cell phone with me as a safety precaution because the more that I ride the farther away from home I get. And if I encounter any mechanical trouble or take a spill like Patsy did I'll be in trouble without it.

I made it up the biggest hill today without stopping. I was so proud of myself. It felt like my lungs were baking as I gasped for more HOT air. Have you seen one of those cartoons where the character is yelling and his mouth is like 4 times bigger than normal? That is how I imagined myself as I went up this hill. I guess that little chuckle I made was just enough to stay positive when the pain in my legs kicked in. I can't say that I'll try this again any time soon but knowing that I made it made a big difference in my heart.

Anyway, I'll be on the stationary bike at the hotel for the next few days. We'll see how that goes. I'll be thinking about you guys and remembering my trip through Steiner Ranch.