Big effort, big chair

2019 Outdoor Season: Ride #38

The Route: High Cliff Climb

The Miles: 33.0

The Time: 2:33

The Ave. Speed: 12.9 mph

The Weather:

Sunny and nice!

80 degrees

Wind, 5-10 mph

Season Total Miles: 830

You know, I have ridden past this giant chair many times over the past few years, yet I can not remember a time that I stopped to take a picture.

So today was the day.

I stopped ever so quickly on the way back to snap this photo on what was a brilliant, sunny, blue sky warm day.

I didn't start out with a plan to accomplish what I did, it just sort of came to me while riding with a tailwind on the way out. True, I planned to attempt the High Cliff State Park climb today, despite being off the bike for six days and without much training in my legs.

So be it. I got it into my head somehow and I was going to try it now.

Somehow as I crested the climb I got it into my head that perhaps I would try it again, making this a never-before done back-to-back High Cliff ride for me. Two for the price of one?

So after the first effort I climbed the little hill up to the park, turned around and came right back up a second time. Both climbs were very different.

On the first one I tried a new approach by using more gas at the bottom initial stages of the climb, even pushing out of the saddle for a portion.

While it did seem to get me there quicker, the final steep portion was very taxing. I tried a second stint out of the saddle but my quads had other thoughts so I settled for a slow struggle to finish the climb. I just wanted to feel better doing the darn thing and not have it be such a struggle.

On the second climb I just took it easy all the way up, trying to not waste energy by using a death grip on the bars, a bad habit of mine. (wasted energy that should be going to the pedals) Yes, it was a struggle at the end, but not as bad as the first climb ended.

I had done it. Back-to-back climbs up to the tower. Time for a granola bar and a short break before heading back.

Once I made a turn that put me in the direction of home I knew I was in for nine miles of steady head wind. It wasn't blowing all that hard, but it was there. And after double climbs my legs certainly knew it was a head wind.

Yet I finished just fine, fueled I am sure by the thought of what I had accomplished back in the park today.