What better way to suffer than opening up the year heavy on a hill…or two? Some years back, I used to ride miles out of my way to avoid elevation, but then, much like distance, I just went out and did it, and it hasn’t been much of a problem since. Sometimes, that’s just the way to overcome that laziness — climb the dang hill. I knew I didn’t have to be the first one up — not that I could ever be the first one up (most often I’m the last) — and that worked for me. Nowadays, hills happen; and I’ll handle them adequately. Suffer…yeah. But I get over it (no pun intended…but you get one anyway).
Our biggest hill around here is one we call “Heartbreaker.” I named it after taking Joon up on one of his first rides after recovering from shoulder surgery. I actually did make it to the top first then…but only because he was nowhere near riding shape at the time. The hill got its name because as he rounded the last turn into a 21% grade, I heard him mutter “this is heartbreaking.” And it is. The last kilometer of it sucks the life out of you. That’s the part I skipped yesterday. I was already quite far behind Joon, so I just told him I’d wait at the turn (although I went about a km further).
So I’ve been up Heartbreaker a kilometer short of 5 times now. The first time of the year is usually the toughest, but that’s because it’s the time I’m most out of shape and overweight. Once I drop a bit and get my legs about me, I’ll be heading back. Looking forward to it, actually.
There are three (technically four, but one is a hiking trail) ways down Heartbreaker. The first time I went up, I went east on the descent (the main road comes from the north). The second time, I went down the main road, and the third and fourth times we took a fire road that goes to the west. That’s our favorite descent — rough and beautiful. Yesterday, we took the east road again, which is also beautiful, but leads us into Cherry Valley — a 9-mile uphill (from its start) that is lined almost entirely with cherry trees for the first 8. Fortunately, the east road from Heartbreaker comes into the valley about 6 miles in, so you’ve only got a mostly gentle climb for the last 3.
Still, it’s a climb. So I’m tired.
