"How do you GO that fast???", she asked as I climbed passed her. ;)

[Jiffer]

I think I just had the ride of my life. There were so many things about today's ride that make me giddy with excitement, I just can't contain myself!

First, I have always struggled with climbing. With the people I ride with, I am almost always the last one up. That got a little better last year as I worked on improving. However, in the last couple of months, I have skyrocketed in my abilities. Due to such things as interval training, weight loss and a new bike ... I am seeing improvement by leaps and bounds. Two weeks ago, I did a training ride I hadn't done since the Fall. A 40 mile climbing ride with almost 4300 feet of climbing. This was on my old bike frame. I was thrilled to see great improvement in my time on both of the two big climbing sections. My fastest time ever. Today, I did that ride again ... with the new bike (and when I say new bike, it's really a new frame, shifters and derailers).

I was with a mostly unfamiliar group of six others, 4 guys and 2 gals. Here's a list of my favorite things about this ride.

1 - I was NOT the last one up! I was the 4th one up, with a pretty big margin between me and the last two ... one of which was a guy who has ridden his route a lot and "appeared" to be very strong.

2 - I passed 9 other people on the climb, mostly all men. Me! Passing people!

3 - I climbed faster than I ever have before. I even beat my climber friend's time from two weeks ago on the first section! That's HUGE!!!! She was even faster today, but I'm totally thrilled anyway!

4 - I was someone's carrot! My friend is usually my carrot, inspiring me to ride faster. Just yesterday I was thinking how I didn't know if I'd ever be anyone's carrot, on a climb anyway. But the one other gal who rode with us today came out of nowhere near the end of the first climb. She said she caught site of me a ways back and worked hard to catch up. WOW! I was someone's carrot!!!

5- And then there was the gal I passed with a guy right on her tire. As I passed, fairly quickly I might add, I said, "Good morning," and she says, "How do you GO that fast???"

OH - MY - GOSH?!!! Did someone just ask ME how I go that fast? Up a hard climb??? I just keep giggling every time I think of it. Every time I think of when I was that girl, getting passed and wondering the exact same thing. "How do they GO that fast?" One time it was a woman passing me, pretty rapidly, and I thought, "I hate her." And then I thought, "No ... I want to BE her! ... I will work hard and some day I will BE that woman passing other people, causing much jealousy and envy!" Muahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!

So, here's to all of you who are struggling to get faster, particularly on climbs ... who desperately WANT to be faster, but maybe not feeling so good about your abilities and wondering if it's ever going to happen. YES YOU CAN!!!! And you WILL! Some day someone will say to you, "How do you GO that fast???" Ha ha!!!!

[NoNo]

That's awesome! I seriously doubt I'll ever hear those words, but it's nice to think it could happen.

[malaholic]

What an awesome and inspirational story. I bet it feels sooooo good to feel it all come together and see your hard work pay off like that. Way to go! But you know what's even better....this is just the first of *many* days like that for you.

[Melissa71]

That is fantastic!!!! Congratulations on all of your hard work paying off. That has to be a wonderful feeling!

[ivorygorgon]

Fabulous post! Thank you thank you! Some day, someone will ask me "how do you go that fast?"

[Tiddle]

It must be nice to be the carrot.... !

(I usually feel like bunny)

[TrekTheKaty]

My husband and I split up this morning. He did an organized, hilly Trailnet ride near our house. I did a flat, gravel 30-miler. When he got home, I asked how his ride was. He said, "I only got passed by one guy."

I however, was passed by a guy on a mountain bike, riding the gravel while I was on a street bike on the pavement. I decided to ease my pace and enjoy the scenery after that :-)

Another bicycle rating system (besides Pardes spokes for restaurants).............

[denda]

You go girl!