.....Uphill both ways.....

We've all heard the old saying. In fact, I bet your dad said it to you at least a thousand times when you were young. Most people write it off as fiction, an impossibility that defies the laws of physics. How can you start and stop at the same point and travel uphill when traveling both away from and toward that point? Well, I will attest to the fact that this is no impossibility and that we should all rethink that old saying. Maybe dad DID walk 10 miles to school in 10 feet of snow uphill both ways...OK, maybe the part about 10 miles to school in the snow is a bit far fetched; but, after my bike ride 2 days ago, I now believe that uphill both ways is a completely realistic possibility in my version of reality. No, I don't live the theoretical universe contained in the pages of a Stephen Hawking book. I am now a believer in the possibility of uphill both ways and if you let me take you on a bike ride, I'll bet I can make you a believer, too (well, at least those of you who are novice endurance athletes like myself).

The ride was the day before yesterday with a good friend and riding partner who is much more fit than I am. I pretty much knew within the first couple of miles that it was going to be a tough day. I had worked a 12-hour shift in Forest, MS two days before the ride (1 hour drive each way) and a 12-hour shift in Meridian, MS the day before the ride (1:50 minute drive each way). On top of that, I swam at 5am before driving to Meridian and I only ate once that day. So needless to say, I was behind on nutrition and sleep and could feel it in the first couple of miles.

So, back to the subject of defying the law of physics. I started wondering if we'd ever see downhill about 4 miles into the ride. It just seemed like I was spending a disproportionate amount of time climbing, but I guess that's to be expected since you get down the hill faster than you get up it. It always makes sense until you're actually on the bike doing the climbing. Then cam Kickapoo Hill, a beast of a hill that I knew was coming; but, I was not prepared for it. I'm never prepared for it the first time. I made it up Kickapoo Hill. My legs were fried by the time I reached the top, but I made it. On the backside of the hill I reached 33 miles per hour without pedaling. The whole time down I was thinking how much fun (or not) it was going to be coming back up this hill.

Coming back, I prepared myself for the climb back over that hill by letting my legs rest with an easy spin for a mile or so before the hill. I stayed seated for the first part of the climb and thought it was not so bad when I reached the top....or what I thought was the top. The hill levels out about halfway up, curves to the left and the hill starts again after about 30 yards of level ground. I did not notice that it leveled off on the way down. So, for the second half of the hill, I spent most of my time out of the saddle grinding away. Near the top my HR maxed out at 196bpm, which is above my theoretical Max HR of 187 (based on my age). Basically, my legs were toast, but I made it to the top. It's always a great accomplishment when I get to the top of one of these nasty hills. Maybe soon I'll go try to tackle the military park in Vicksburg.

The plans for this weekends workouts are up in the air. I'm going to be home with a sick little girl all weekend. Jenna has had fever for 24 hours now, so I will be home with she and Parker this weekend while Amanda goes out of town. Maybe I'll be able to fit in a group bike ride Sunday night.

"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment." -Jim Rohn