07/05/09: 11.5 miles TADA: I conquered the hill! Remember that my goal was to conquer this hill at the lake by the end of July? Well, here I am, at the top, looking back down, and we've barely started July :-) No one had to push me up this time!

Pictures do not adequately depict reality. This hill really is quite steep. This second pic is from the bottom looking up. The hill looks like a short distance in the picture. I should've measured the length. Perhaps I'll climb it again. As I was going up, two men were stopped on their bikes. One of the chains broke. I offered tools, but they needed pliers. I'll add pliers to my tool kit. They informed me that I may need to use them if my chain breaks. Good to know. Other than this samaritan act I pedaled and pedaled up the hill. I used mental tactics learned while running: project ahead 10" - 12" in front of my foot and "take one more step" (one more pedal in this case); pedal just to the next leaf on the road or the next crack in the pavement or the next pebble on the road. Focus, focus, focus. Climbing this grade required every synapse to be focused on the task at hand, er foot. There were no reserves to think of pleasant things. Just git er done! Kind of like life, aye? Keep the plow to the task. Look ahead and remain focused on the task. Shoot for the prize.

I triked along the trail also. What was so cool about that was passing a runner! Oh, the joy of calling out "on your left." One bad thing about being on a low to the ground recumbent trike is that I'm very close to any dead animal on the road. And there were plenty today :-(

Along the way I plucked some wildflowers and made a bouquet to photograph to remember this ride. I love daisies. Make time to savor all the colors of summer. I "feel" winter coming. Not sure why that thought keeps coming to mind. I am much stronger heading into this coming winter. Last winter was tough. Many people talked me through those difficult days. I am grateful for their presence in my life.

On the next triking adventure I will pass the 200 mile mark! Woohoo. Just 3 1/2 miles from now. Kind of makes me want to get back out there tonight. I won't. Nor tomorrow or Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday. I understand that in biking terms this is a "second century."

In closing, I want to state again, I LOVE DAISIES. Such a happy flower.

Blessings Abound!

~A~