Independence

(Week 4, Day 5, Saturday, July 3rd)

What better way is there to celebrate our nation's independence (early) than by a grueling 60-mile ride?

Yes, yes, I'm sure there are many better ways. But not for me! I hit a new PR (personal record) today by riding 60 miles in 4 and a half hours. I was only on the bike for four hours - the other 30 minutes consisted of necessary rest stops where sunscreen was reapplied, Gatorade was chugged, and granola bars were destroyed by the gnashing of teeth. Good times.

If you've ever wondered what goes on inside my brain during a ride such as this, allow me to demonstrate a sampling of said stream of consciousness:

"Come on Heather, you can do it, you're halfway there... Come on legs, PUSH, PUSH!... I wonder if my face is sunburned?... 'If you're happy and you know it, ride your bike'... Only 20 more miles to go, Heather, you got this!... Oh my gosh, still 18 miles to go, I'm never going to make it... When I get home, I am going to collapse... no, first I'm going to eat a banana, then I'm going to collapse... Ew, I stink... HELLO CAR?!? Did you HAVE to pass me that closely??... Oh look, a squirrel!... God, please help. Thanks... I have to do this for THREE days in a row? I must be crazy... Owwwwww, my bum... Sigh, I made it. But I can't seem to move my legs..."

There you have it. This ride was tough, I must admit. I felt good for the first 30 miles and still felt alright for the following 15. But the last 15 just about killed me. For some reason, once I realize that I'm headed home and that the ride will soon be over, time stops. I try to remind myself that I'm almost done, and convince myself that I'm going to make it, but the last 10 to 15 miles are torturous nonetheless.

Regardless of how hard and long the ride was, there were some bright moments. I got to see a baby deer, whom I affectionately and ununiquely named Bambi. My presence obviously startled him and I rode along with him running beside me frantically trying to either jump the barbed wire fence by the side of the road or find a hole big enough for him to squeeze through. He was unsuccessful for so long, I finally prayed that God would give him an out so he could get away. Sure enough, after my short prayer, he found a large hole in the fence and bounded off through the field. To see a little deer bounding like that is truly a glorious sight. I was thankful just to have the experience.
Along those same lines, in the last mile or so of my ride when I felt like I was really just holding onto the bike for dear life, I noticed a beautiful yellow bird - perhaps a finch or a warbler - flying to my left a little ways, traveling at the same speed as me. It was a surreal type of moment that I can't really explain in words. It kind of felt like God saying, "I have you, Heather, keep going." I'll take that any day!

Okay, I'm done with this for now.