I've spent the past few days riding in the "hills" around Hendersonville, NC, in preparation for the adventure laying in store beginning next week; and to be clear, "hills" in North Carolina are a bit more inclining than most which catches most riders off guard (not to mention your starting altitude is 2230 ft above sea level). Just as I would get into recovery spin mode after a climb, suddenly another incline would appear and the whole cycle (pun intended) would begin again. Climb...descend...1/2 mile "flat"...climb...etc, etc,. For many riders, this might be discouraging; to others, this might be motivating. For me, I found it to be...anticipating. By the 3rd or 4th instance of the climb--descent--flat sequence, I began looking for the next one...then the next...and the next. Soon the "hills" were welcoming and beckoning, each covered in a summer canopy of green foliage with slight breezes alternating from front to back depending on my compass heading. Each climb became inviting, each corresponding descent a refreshing "thank you", and each flat section an anticipating & rewarding respite...
Which brings me to The Tour, the annual "world cup" like event for the cycling world; the anticipation of this awesome event for professionals and enthusiasts alike has been building over the past few months, coming to fruition today in the Grand Depart from Leeds in Yorkshire, UK. But the anticipation for me is even grander when I begin my own "Grand Depart" this coming Saturday to join the bike tour group on Stage 10 of the Tour---I'm sure the reality of it all will hit me arriving in the Lyon airport, when anticipation is replaced by adrenaline. To say I'm nervous today is a misnomer, but there are times when I think about the anticipation and the exciting experience that lies ahead--my breath pauses, my heartbeat quickens....and I smile. :-D
Six days & a wakeup...the countdown continues!
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