Pressure

No, that's not me, but it is how I felt when I reached my destination (though jumping was definitely out of the question).

Rode to the gas station and made sure my tires had enough pressure.

Then I set off for my EPIC bike ride to Ryan's!

The first half (the half I've done before) was a breeze, and I felt pretty excited, pushing it hard to make sure I made good time (and not really knowing what to expect beyond that halfway point).

Then I busted past my most distant turnaround point to date, and kept on heading south. But as I carried on, I started to feel pressure. Not the bike tires, but in my mind.

Despite the beautiful scenery, I began doubting a little. What lies ahead? What is the exact route again? Is this really a good idea? What if my bike breaks down? How much further is it? I told my wife (and of course, Ryan) that I would be going all the way today - what if I can't do this?

PRESSURE.

I worked to keep those doubts and fears under control and just enjoy the view (which was, once again, stunning).

Then I hit a glitch.

At some point in Farmington (immediately past the Legacy Events Center), I saw a sign that pointed left and said "Legacy Trail 0.7." I thought nothing of it, until ten yards later, my beloved Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail "Main Line Through the Rockies" Cycling and Pedestrian Trail (hereinafter, "DRGWRMLTRCPT") ceased to be paved and became a trail of rocks (rocks that seemed like that lava rock they put in some BBQs). Uh, THAT wasn't on the Google Map! So, I turned around and took the trail that led me eastward. Turns out, it caused me to double back a little before eventually coming out near the highway, and after a quick check of the Google Map on my phone, I took a feeder trail to get to the Legacy Trail, which I then took to Glovers Lane (my intended departure point from the DRGWRMLTRCPT). So, a minor variation from the plan - no big deal.

From that point, it was a whole different ride. Let me tell you, it is a far cry from the quiet, idyllic serenity of the DRGWRMLTRCPT to riding on the city streets with all that traffic. Constantly looking over my shoulder, nervous I was going to get run over by a distracted driver...it was nerve-wracking. Plus, the road surface is not nearly as smooth as the DRGWRMLTRCPT, so I felt like it was slowing me down a little.

And then there were the hills. It wasn't TOO bad, until I got to the dreaded hill up to Ryan's. As I dropped to the lowest gear, and it still wasn't enough, I had a flashback to 30 years ago and my days of riding my BMX everywhere. When the hills get tough, the smart rider zig-zags up them, as much as necessary to lessen the incline (much the way roads are cut into mountains). I must've at least tripled the distance of that last half mile by weaving back and forth across the street, but I made it! I never stopped; never so much as put my foot down.

When I got to the top, I threw my arms up in the air like Rocky Balboa. My quads were burning, my breath panting.

But I...had...made...it.

And the pressure was off...I had a friendly automobile ride home awaiting me.

Unlike when I met my running goal - and was glad it was all finally over - reaching this goal has only inspired me to set new ones. The next logical milestone is to be able to make that same ride round-trip, so I will continue to work toward that.

By the way, one of the beauties of this ride today was that I burned more calories than I consumed all day!

And so, I now go onward to my next goal: the 29-mile round-trip. This may take a lot longer to reach (especially with the weather changing). I wonder how long the window of time is where the gnats are gone but the snow hasn't started yet...