Sweating and Loving It

Got another bike ride in the books. Woke up at 5:45 am (which is what time I need to wake up for school starting in a week) and decided to get my workout over with. I was a bit nervous since it was 25 miles and included some hills.

I headed out from my home in San Jose. Unfortunately, I have to ride through 10 miles of gross urban traffic before getting to the scenic foothills. I live in the valley, apparently. Although my ride started out easy and flat, I somehow got stuck behind 2 garbage trucks. It was trash day in south San Jose. Not only did I have to swerve around haphazardly placed garbage cans but the smell of rotten food and other jetsam and flotsam made me extremely nauseous. I think the truck actually had decaying corpses in it; the smell was that bad. I felt the urge to vomit, and slowed, downshifted, and breathed deeply for several minutes until the feeling passed.

Finally, I reached Hicks Road and began riding through the foothills between Los Gatos and Almaden Quicksilver Park. Shade blanketed me and the morning dew still clung to the trees. I immediately felt a cool mist refreshing my skin, legs, and spirit. By the time the climbing began, I was ready. I found a steady but slow pace and settled in as I climbed. In the lowest gear, I struggled to get up the hills but knew I was strong enough to make it. I focused on each pedal stroke and my mind escaped in each pause and rest between rotation. There was nothing else except push....rest....push...rest. It was glorious, relaxing freedom. My skin shined with a thin coat of sweat, and I realized I felt the best I had felt in months. I always feel the most amazing when I work out. It's wonderful to be strong enough to finally enjoy each workout.

The rest of the ride was smooth. I zipped down the downhills and, back in town, the uphills felt like tiny bumps. I practiced pedaling uphill in a higher gear and practiced spinning at high rpms on the downs. My legs felt heavy with muscle and strong.

I have 1 week left until school begins. Now, I have the rest of the day to do whatever I want. Yay for morning workouts!