Sure is quiet around here when Lynda and I are spending lots of time on the bike. The training thus far in St George has been a blast. Monday we opend the day with 40 miles of road followed by the Gooseberry mesa loop plus some out and backs. Slow, technical riding – tons of fun! The views don’t stop out here either…pics to come next week. Yesterday we did a longer day, several big climbs, lots of singletrack and a rolling dirt road where Lynda really dropped the hammer on me. Have I mentioned shes riding outside of her body?
At one point yesterday we were both close to pinned on this long climb…when we hit the top we were both pretty giddy with endorphins…big week training is such a kick in the butt. It sure helps to ride in unfamiliar terrain with a tour guide too.
…………………..
Dicky asks: why do we compete? Great question. Endurosnob I think is close to the truth. Way back in the day, primal caveman had to hunt down and chase dinner. These days the old urge is there but with no outlet. That’s one thing that is so special about wild places, they take us to places where creative thought is unbounded by civilization. But sooner or later you climb to some peak in seeming wilderness only to find a chairlift hauling plaid sweater loafer hoofed college kids to the top…then wild places can’t anymore sooth that urge. The only thing left is to view your fellow man as dinner and chase him down. Funny, but some folks in the past have assumed I must have some inner demons from which I run. Maybe they were right…just not exactly how they thought of it. You could call is personal development, seeking and pushing boundaries and all that…but it is much more primal than that. Along the way it is a helluva good time and considerably healthier than some other addictions.