Training Part 3: Use the Hill

I thought about subtitling this post something snazzy like:

• "What goes down must come up!"
• "The Joy and the Pain of Bike Riding"
• "Ain't No Mountain High Enough..."

But I didn't.  It does not really matter if I am going down a dip in the road or up a 33 degree slope, I feel right away when the grade changes.  Either the pressure is relieved from my legs and I feel the sweet, blessed relief of charging down hill OR my legs start to burn, my speed rapidly declines and I start downshifting like a mad man.  Hills are everything that is fun about bike riding and everything that is horrid about bike riding all in one neat and tidy package.  When you are going uphill, the great hope is that this too shall pass and there will be a downhill stretch just on the other side of the peak.  When you are speeding downhill, wind whipping past your face while your legs and your lungs joyfully sing, it is important to remember that there will probably be an uphill segment coming up very soon.  Remember to use the Hill.

That was my breakthrough revelation last year when my son and I did this ride:  Remember to use the Hill.  The first year of our trip was pain, miser, tears and despair.  I died going up every single hill and seriously considered calling my wife to come and get us midway through the ride.  My son is considerably lighter and in better shape than I am.  When we would get to a hill, he would just hop off his bike and bound up the rest of the slope like a big labrador puppy.  I had very little bounding in me.

Last year I realized that instead of trying to match my son's pace, I needed to make my own in order to have it be a good experience.  So instead of following him, riding the brakes downhill and grinding up the other sides I took the lead and built up speed on the downhills, using my velocity to shoot me most of the way up the next hill and significantly decreasing the amount of grinding that I did.  Instead of coasting through my decent I would pedal harder and build up speed.  I used the hill to get me up the next one.

I've been thinking a lot about the metaphor.  I just finished a job that paid me more than I had ever made before.  Financially we were zooming downhill.  Instead of just spending paycheck to paycheck, we pushed a little harder and used our income to pay off our credit cards and put away a couple of months worth of savings for when we had another hill to climb.  Now that I am looking for a job, we can use that margin to look for the right job, not just jump at the first opening that comes across the job boards.

Use the Hill.  It is not just applicable with money.  The warm weather of summer is the best time to winterize your home.  Summer is also a great time to try new things with your kids and see what resonates with them so that you can find opportunities for them to pursue their passions during the school year. 

Savor the good times...the parts of life that are fun and stimulating and filled with joy.  And use those good times to equip yourself for that next challenge.  Use the Hill.