The Hills are Alive...I Feel, Not

Two days after that amazing and excruciating bicycling clinic, and I decided to go out and ride some hills.  There's a nice, respectable hill (not too long, not too short) not far from my home.  I thought that today I would challenge myself to climb and descend it for an hour.  Wow!  What an hour.

Here's what I am coming to learn about myself.  For a commuter and recreational rider, I am in amazing shape.  As a serious rider, I'm doin' okay!  As a potential road racer, I am in abysmal shape.  Now, I don't really aspire to race my road bike.  So, the status of my fitness level as that kind of athlete is really not a worry.  But, I do aspire to increase my fitness and be a serious road rider.  So, there's work to be done!

So, to the hill I went today.  Down, and then up.  ARGH!  That kind of hurt.  Then I coasted down the hill again...and pedaled back up.  That hurt even more.  One more time down...and then...up.  Hmmm, not so bad that time.  Two more times down and up.  And, I was ready to go home.  So, I did five hill climbs.  Not that impressive, I know.  For now.  But later...after days, weeks, even months of riding that hill--up and down--I'm gonna rock!