There’s a good hill East of base that has three approaches — a highway that goes up and over, and a road that comes in from the north that intersects near the top. A few years ago, around the time I met my friend and riding partner, Chris, he did a ride to that hill, going up the north approach, down the west, up the west, down the east, up the east, then down the north on the return. He titled that ride “Three Tacos,” and I asked him if it was because on the elevation profile there were three peaks (of the same hill). If you used your imagination, you could get there.
But it turns out it’s just because he’d had three tacos for lunch that day before his ride.
Anyway, ever since then we’ve called rides on that hill “tacos.” You could do 1, 2, or 3 tacos, depending. Throw in a good hill on the way out (I call it the burrito) and back, and you get a ride I call “the el Grande” — three tacos and two burritos.
Now, I used to be intimidated something fierce by hills, but I’ve learned a couple of things about them. First off, the more you do them, the better you get at it. Secondly, it’s like running a mile. When I was in high school, I never thought I could do it. I’d get once around the track and I’d be wiped out. Until one day I just kept going, and I learned that after a quarter mile or so and getting warmed up, it actually got easier. Thing is, I never got past a quarter mile every time I’d tried before.
So today I went out for the el Grande (the second time I’ve done it). And I liked it so much I threw in an extra hill on the way home for dessert. And I think I’m not minding so much because the 18 and a half pounds I’ve lost in the past two months (actually only 52 days) has made a big difference. I didn’t even get down into my lowest gear for any of the climbs today.
So — getting stronger, getting leaner. A good recipe for what I hope will be a good summer. Perhaps even a good Summer of Bob!.
I’m optimistic.