In 2009 I completed a century ride (a ride that exceeds 100 miles).  It was a hard course and it had many hills.  When I was finished I was elated having completed this grueling course.  In addition I paid for it days later with sore muscles and the overwhelming need to keep on drinking for what felt like days of constantly being thirsty. I was proud of this effort and have always thought of it as a big deal.

As the 2013 Tour de France approaches I decided to take a look at what the effort looks like for this race.  First of all it is a 21 stage race and is run over 23 days - that means in total there are 2 days off! I have decided to ignore the speeds of the riders and the grade and rating of the mountains that they climb because these two statistics are untouchable by mere mortals.  Instead I just looked at the distances that each of the riders have to endure.

Keeping in mind there are three days that are short 15.5 miles; 20.5 miles and 20 miles, but each of these days are time trial days.  The racers are going at their top speed over these distances.  Even though these distances might look to be within reach, the speeds are not. Other than these three days there are only three other days that fall below the 100 mile mark. The first is day/stage two at 97 miles and day/stage three at 90 miles.  However the race starts with the first stage being a 135 mile day.  The last stage (21 - Day 23) is only 82 miles however this more of a traditional celebratory ride and usually does not count towards the final outcome of the overall champion of the tour.

Including the three time trials and the three “short” rides the average for the tour is 100 miles per day.  Stage 15 is 150 miles long.  By the time the riders get to the first rest day they will have covered 940 miles!  More than 2100 miles will be ridden by each of these riders in just 23 days.  I know that it is hard to translate data into real effort but these numbers are inconceivable.

I know that Lance Armstrong’s confession of breaking the rules (blood doping, banned substances and other violations) has given some people reason to dismiss the sport. It is easy to understand why we could all feel that way.  And when so many riders have been accused of the same type of abuse it is hard to look past the negativity and be able to clearly see the effort involved in this race.  Having said all of that, that is not what defines this race!

I know of no other contest that lasts as long or demands the amount of hours and the diversity of talent.  If you can climb you are typically not built to sprint.  If you sprint well, the mountains look like vertical walls that are not meant to be climbed on a bike.  If you can time trial you can tax your body during one of these stages in a way that will impact other aspects of the tour.  And of course, if you lead you wear yellow and you become the most chased rider.  It is a sport of strategy, endurance, strength, drive and talent.  No matter what, drugs can not impact ALL aspects of what is demanded of these riders.

I will never condone what has been done by many riders from the past.  I will not even acknowledge the circumstances of their missteps.  At the same time I will not let the cheats take my love of this sport away from me.  It has always been bigger than the biggest names.  It is about the Tour.  That is why even though I will never be able to relate to their speeds, climbs, distances, endurance or glory, I will always be able to connect to this sport.  It is the RIDE.  The love of being out there.  The joy of powering a machine to lift you over a hill, and to hit speeds that you didn't know you could experience with only your body as the engine.

I set out to show how a casual rider is nothing like a professional competitor.  Much in the same way that a casual rider compares to a professional, the tour itself brings perspective.  The efforts of the men of the race will never be able to match the grandeur of the event.

The pace is right to be able to take in the aromatics of the ride.  It is as though I am being invited to define the sources as I ride by.

Right now the honeysuckle is overwhelming.  As I breathe in, the impression is sweet and captivating.  It is hard for me to understand why no one has derived this scent into a flavor for a drink.  I imagine it mixed with honey and when I am thirsty from the ride, it is easy to think how refreshing it would be to have a taste of honeysuckle to quench that thirst.

Further along the ride I pass freshly tilled fields being prepared for planting.  Earth and air come together to create an effect that is distinct.  It is not refreshing but it is comforting.  It is a rich odor that reminds me of childhood and digging in the dirt.

Passing the churning waterfall I realize how much this smells like the soil but it is not exactly the same.   As the water cascades over the moss covered stones you pick up notes of the earth and the plants that are nearby.

Though not at all pleasant, the stench of decomposition is almost always a part of the ride.  You are bound to encounter an animal that has been struck by a car and is off to the side of the road.  This can be a choking reminder of how easily you could be struck by an auto and cast aside. 

Presently most of the lilacs have already bloomed but the few plants that are growing in the shaded areas are giving of a wonderful fragrance.   This reminds me of my grandmother’s back yard.  This is a plant that I have learned to identify by its perfume at an early age.

Of course the smell of fresh cut grass is always a part of the journey.  If my lawn is long when I ride this is the stink of guilt.  If I have already cut the lawn then this is a sweet summertime aroma.

Each and every trip brings a new sensation to my nose.  No two rides bring exactly the same olfactory pattern even if the course is the same.  As the weather changes and the seasons shift so does the palette.  I never set out thinking about this, but it always becomes a part of what links me back to that jaunt.  

The Risks of Low Cadence in Indoor Cycling Classes - By Jennifer Sage | Indoor Cycling Association

I love to have my music when I ride my bike. Not only do I rely on it to set the tone of the ride, but it forms an imprint of my path for me. After having specific songs playing while I ride I can have perfect recall of where I was along my course when I hear the same song play. It also works the other way as well.  When I pass a specific location that was a part of my recent ride I can link back to the song that was playing while I was riding in that spot.

Usually it is based something significant such as a hill or a fast decent but the association is a perfect match. Monday evening when I overcame my hidden hill nemesis I was listening to "Smells like teen spirit – Nirvana".  When I clobbered the last big grade of the night it was The Rolling Stones performing "Dead Flowers" live.  I pulled into my neighborhood for my cool down loop with The White Stripes playing "Seven Nation Army".

It is a fun phenomena to experience. Just another way I enjoy myself on the bike.  

It was a spectacular day for the Tour de Open Space.  The sky was an electric blue color; not passive at all.  The wind was almost non existent and the temperature was on the verge of being just a bit too cold for shorts and short sleeved jersey.  Perfect day for a long ride.

When I had reviewed the maps on line I had misread the elevations thinking that the difficult ride climbed over 6000 feet and the rolling hill ride had over 2000 feet of climbing. I would have been happy with climbing over 2000 feet over the course of 35 miles so I was easily talked into the rolling hills ride. I was off by about four times the actual numbers.  It turns out the the rolling hills were a little less than what I have been using for training. Never the less the rolling hills ride was extraordinary.

The ride was a "start as you go"  and I was on my own so it was hard to know when would be the best time to leave. I tried to stick to the posted start time and I left for my ride at about 10:00 AM. Since I was on my own I kept my music playing in my ears.

A group of about eight riders and me all pull out and onto the road together. As soon as we were on the road, the big ride goes off to the left to start with a large climb, we keep right and stay in the valley next to the Wickecheoke Creek. For next five miles the road is flat and winds along this creek.  

At this point if you look to the left you can see the road that is the first hill of the “big ride” and you can see it start to tower over the creek.  That rise is one of my first big riding challenges.  When I first started to ride that hill was insurmountable without having to get off of my bike and walking.  These days I love to take that path and push over the !  Needless to say I was starting to regret having stayed to the right.

The group I am with are enjoying themselves but they are not forming any lines to increase the speed of the pack.  It is okay with me but since I don’t know anyone I am on my own within the group.  Even still the speed of the group is a good pace and I figure by the end of the ride we might know each other a little better.

As we come to the “T” intersection on this road, the course turns right and we are faced with the first rolling hill of the ride.  I am excited and gobble up the road as quickly as I can.  My legs feel good as they are tested with the first sign of resistance.  The course turns left and as I cross the road I am able to see the group I was with behind me, just inching up the hill.  I have no reason to wait so I press on and look for the next group ahead of me to join.

I suddenly recognize the road as one that I take on my commute to work.  I also know that this road has a good grade on it and we are heading in the uphill direction.  In the mornings when I am traveling in the opposite direction, I can put my  car in neutral and coast down the entire hill, having to use my brakes to keep my speed in check.  It is a decent enough hill and it starts to take its toll on a number of the riders.  Some are moving very slow, some are walking up and other are stopping to catch their breath or wait on their friends.  I enjoy the push and though I can not accelerate up this hill, I am able to get over the top experiencing only a slight dip in my split speed.

We are now very close to where I do my training rides and I start to think how I can piece together some of the roads I have just covered with some of my training rides to open up a new and beautiful ride.  One of the nice things that I notice is the amount of shade that is available and how good that will feel as we start to get into the summer heat of July and August.  

I ride about 22 miles in total before stopping at the rest stop.  This is a little more than half way through the ride and I am feeling great.  The driveway that leads to the rest stop is not very well paved (they almost never are) and it might have been a mistake to have ridden down part way.  

I make a quick stop and start back on what looks to be an empty road.  This part of the trip circles back over some of the same roads and it affords some of the most expansive views of the often underrated New Jersey countryside.  If you were to be dropped into this area and asked what state you are in, I think New Jersey might be your 50th guess.  It is overwhelming.

For the second time of the day I ride past the covered bridge and I start up a small hill that will start me back to the starting point. For the first time all day, I am passed on the hill!  I can not believe this because having skipped the big hill ride,  I have turned this ride into a mission to overcome everyone I encounter on these rolling hills.  I also notice that the bumps in the road are starting to pound a little hard in the seat.  I look down and realize that my back tire is low on air.  It is always strange to me that after 28 miles of riding with seemingly no change I would suddenly be low on air.  

I know I must have a leak but because it is my back tire and I am so close to the end of the ride, I really don’t want to change out the tube.  I figure I would try and pump it up and see if I could limp along for the rest of the ride.  I am able to do this but I have to stop two more times to pump air into the tire before reaching the end of the ride.  Without this issue I could have finished this ride very quickly but I was slowed down by this problem.  Looking back I think I must have picked something up when I went into the rest stop down the gravel road.  

I pulled into the starting area and I could smell lunch cooking for us.  It is amazing how good grilled food smells after a 35 mile ride.  There is a tent set up with amazing food choices.  I have a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich with spinach, olive oil and goat cheese.  I also have some pulled pork and slaw.  I have never had such a good meal at an organized ride before.  

I sit by the waterfalls and take it all in.  Between the food, the exhilaration of the ride, and the sunshine I am peacefully euphoric. I make sure to collect the cue sheets for the “big” ride so that I can do this ride on my own at a later date.  I cannot linger as I have to get home, but I take one more moment to reflect on what a treat this has been to have had the whole morning to myself to do this ride.

April 7, 2013 - Days like this make it easy.  There is nothing like getting out in the sunshine.   

Yesterday I took a route that does not follow my usual path.  I picked it for the hills.  It is a short ride (20 miles) but 4 big hills.  When on that ride I feel as though I am either climbing or descending; I never feel like I am spinning.  It is fun and a good workout but it does not have the same mental impact as when I get to spin.

Today I took my normal route.  This route gives me the opportunity to ride 20 miles or more. I can add a loop or two to increase the miles and still keep the scenery fresh. The extra loop today got me up to 27 miles. I know these roads so well that I can anticipate when it will be difficult and when it will be easy.  The wind was strong and it caused a shift in what I normally encounter.

Even though the wind makes it hard to keep a consistent speed, I can (try to) keep a constant cadence.  I can not do this when riding the hills.  There is something about that pedal stroke that causes the endorphins to flow. I can't explain it, but I am so affected by it. I know when it is happening as an amazing sense of calm and euphoria washes over me.

I know that my blood chemistry changes and I can feel it happen.  It usually happens at the same time that the sweat starts to become noticeable.  Another “boost” comes later on during the ride but the state of well-being remains elevated throughout the entire ride.

As I said, this ride does not have any major hills but it does end with a short steep grade hill about 3 miles from the end of the ride.  This hill gets my heart rate up and I can feel the deep pumping in my chest when I ascend.  I know that with every stroke of my heart, the blood flows faster throughout my body.  As I reach the apex of the hill and I am able to back down on the pedals I can feel a cascade of hormones flood my veins. I am lead to a blissful peace.

So many times I think that this is a placebo and that I cannot possibly be producing such a difference in my current chemical makeup.  Then when I step into the shower and the water runs down my face and you can taste the saltiness I realize that this has been produced from within.  When I my heart rate comes down and I notice how hungry I am, I know that the food deficit is due to the chemical conversions. My skin is pink, soft and warm and it goes beyond the results of the increased blood flow.  The physical signs are all there.

So many of the people I talk to about riding don’t understand why I like the hills so much.  First of all I am not built for speed but my competitive nature causes me to strive to excel at some aspect of the ride - hills help me to feel accomplished.  Most of all, it is that extra boost I feel when I am on the other side.  I don’t love the descent but I love to come over the top.

I first want to thank everyone for coming together as we all try and comfort each other. Over the course of the past few days many people have shared their condolences with me. In doing so the word inspiration has been used often.  As much as that word is appropriate, Donna's imprint on my life goes far beyond inspiration.  No one person has shaped my life more than my sister.

If you were fortunate enough to have Donna step into your life you were transformed, your perspectives were shifted, your focus was sharpened and your appreciation for life was stimulated. I am sure that my words only reinforce your own understanding of this phenomena.

Donna's life was so incredible, so rich and so full. Not many of us are able to live life the way that my sister did – Donna lived every day as if it were a gift. The simple things in life that most of us take for granted were never lost on my sister.

Donna always looked forward.  She never forget the memories that made her smile. She always enjoyed the present and found a way to turn the now into one of those smiling memories.

People say that when it comes to love the more you give away the more it will be returned to you. Imagine for a moment the amount of love Donna had in her heart when you think how much she gave away to each and everyone of us. The love that you returned to her enriched her life as much as she enriched yours.

When you think my sister never forget that love and remember to share it with someone. When you do my sister's soul will be lifted up along with yours and the people who receive your love. Never stop loving, never stop looking ahead and never stop embracing life. That is how my sister lived and that is her legacy.

Today I needed it.  The sky was blue and the temperature was above forty.  Perfect day to get out there.  I needed to clear my mind.  Nothing is as purifying as being on my bike.  I am alone with my thoughts and that is exactly what I needed today.  I needed to listen to my what my mind had to say.

It was one of those amazing day.  The trees are still bare but you could see the buds swelling with anticipation. The daffodils were all at different stages. Some with just their green tops pushing through the earth. Others pregnant with color just waiting to break through and paint the landscape.  The few that spend much of the days bathed in the sunshine are already extending their yellow trumpet narrowly outward, not yet having had the chance to widen and open all of the way up.

An amazing variety of birds were were all out taking in the sunshine.  The vulture who ran from me and at the last second realized I might catch him. Even though I was no threat, he lept up and took to flight in order to avoid me.  The red tailed hawk dashing into the sky to seek his prey.  The lack of thick ground cover must make his hunting easier at this time of the year. The heron who looked so awkward until his wings spread out as he flew so gently above the earth. Spring is starting to show itself.

I am always careful but today I stayed out of the world with the people and the cars. I find the greatest peace on my rides. A sanctuary within the hectic world. When I penetrate deeply into that quiet world, I can ride with ease.  The end result was a time that was greater than ten minutes faster than the last time I did this same ride.  

Today I had someone else with me.  She helped me to be focused.  From now on she will only be in the peaceful world, but she will be ever present when I am able to get out into that space.  It made me happy to know where I can find her.

I can feel it in the air when a storm is possible.  It is always a risk when I head out for a ride in these conditions.  It is not pleasant when it rains but it does not prevent the ride. I will put my phone in a zip-lock bag and get ready to get wet.

This particular ride started out dry but as I said the sky was hanging heavy. I had planned to follow my twenty two mile training ride.  It is my most familiar ride but because of the ominous atmosphere I was trying to ride at a quick pace so as to beat the weather.

The map of this ride is shaped like a lollipop; a long straight path followed by a big loop that comes back into the same straight that I use to get out to the loop.

The rain started when I was riding the loop. It was upsetting as I was really hoping to have avoided getting wet. The concern of getting wet was soon diminished with the first cracking of thunder.  Panic started to set in as I could see the lightening in the sky followed almost immediately by the rumble.

Sitting on a steel bike, in the middle of a farm field, soaking wet with bolts of lightning lighting up the black clouds does not engender comfort. As you would expect I started to search for any type of shelter where I could hunker down a wait out the storm.  I started to think about getting into one of the ditches along the road that is used for run off from the field.  I would be very wet but I think it would offer me the best protection from electrocution. I considered continuing my ride as fast as I could and keep my fingers crossed that I would be able to outrun the danger.  That thought was just dumb!

Finally I saw a barn with its door ajar and felt this was my only choice.  I pulled up on my bike and leaned it against the outside wall and stuck my head in just to be sure I would not be met by any guard dogs.  The barn was housing several horses and about a dozen fierce guard cats.  When the cats realized I was not there to feed them, they quickly ignored me and when along their way.

Oddly, almost as soon as I got squared away inside the doorway of the barn my phone started to ring.  I expected it would be Lisa (my wife) even though I had called her when the rain started only to learn she was not home and could not pick me up. As it turns out the phone call was from my brother Paul.

As I stood in the doorway of that barn I looked out at the fast moving dense clouds.  I watched those clouds ignite with lightning.  I watched the rain come down in sheets and I listened to the roar of the thunder claps. I heard my brother tell me that my father had lung cancer. I was engulfed by a storm far larger than what I could see in the sky just outside that barn door.

Where I Go When I Ride

I hop on, clip in, look down to make sure the computer is capturing data, and the wheels start to spin faster. I have an app loaded on my phone to track my ride and my headphones are in my ears to feed music and statistics. 

I look back to see my house fading away and all responsibilities dissolve as well.  I start up the first little hill in the neighborhood and start to feel my legs begin their pumping motion.  My only requirement is to move my legs in the circular motion that propels me up and over the hill.

Though I am totally exposed - open to all the elements, I start to retreat into another place, an isolated place.  The road and the reality become just a pathway that takes me into a world that I occupy independently.  This is a place where my thoughts are in charge and I am sealed away from distraction.  The houses and scenery become a backdrop of my new environment and they pass by me in a film like form. 

I turn right to leave the neighborhood and I start the first decent.  It is not big but my speed is pushed up effortlessly.  I can feel the wind on my face and I realize how fast I must pedal in order to keep the chain turning the back wheel.  As I shift to a higher gear I start to think about cadence and consistent pedal strokes.  Once again I have to shift to get up the hill that leads to the main road.  This will be the last time I think about it - from here on out the shifting happens without a thought. 

At this point my world is hovering above everyone else’s. Occasionally I feel the wind or an auto gets close to me and I realize I still have one foot firmly planted and I still occupy a presence. As I come to the intersection where traffic is always abundant, I begin the dance that enables me to navigate between these two worlds. The choreography enables me to persist in their world without having to leave mine. 

As my body starts to warm up we begin our conversation. I start to ask: “will the hills be easy today? or will I find them more challenging?”  As the road begins to rise my legs answer me back.  They tell me what to expect from them.  That is when I know if my legs will carry me forward or if I will have to use my mind to convince them that they must not betray me. I always know the answer therefore I will always know if it is to be a physical challenge or a mental challenge - either way I look to push beyond that limit.  

My phone whispers in my ears my progress thus far.  I have a bad habit of slowing my legs in order to listen to the report, but when I hear the current pace and overall pace I snap into action.  At this point I know what to expect and I start to think about the first few hills and I begin to get excited.  As I come around a big bend the first hill presents itself to me. The nerves in my stomach start to roll as the anxiety builds. 

This hill is a slow long climb.  The grade is not steep but it will test my assumptions. There are two waves to this hill with a short plateau in the middle.  As I get to the second wave I start to look for the top of the telephone poles.  This is what I use to estimate the peak of the hill - I look for the highest pole and then I know how much further I will have to ascend. At this point I have confirmed my assumptions and I am carried up and forward by my legs or by my mind ordering my legs to do so. 

The reward to this hill is not a steep decline.  It is a nice long flat piece of pavement.  The fields are open on either side and if the wind is strong I will know about it at this point.  On this flat I can exceed my planned cadence, but that effortless shifting ensures that all the energy is focused into speed.  This is the first time that I have a piece of flat ground to work with.  Joy washes over me as I am able to shift higher and higher and my speed reaches a downhill pace.  I always expend too much energy here because it is so much fun to go so fast unassisted. 

My turn is coming up and I dive down a wooded road.  I have streams along side the road and horses and dogs all greet me as I invade their peace. Now I am able to realize how beautiful this all is.  I know that my goal is to get through this road before I meet my thirty minute mark.  I also know how fast I should be going when I hit every looping curve in the road.  It is filled with ups and downs but no hills to speak of.  I will generally encounter one or two cars on this road and I tend to ride here as though I own the road. 

At the thirty minute mark I know if I am on pace or if I have to make up time but first I must make it through another intersection.  At the traffic light I notify everyone with hand signals that I will be turning on to the main road.  This road is heavily traveled at high speeds but the shoulders are as wide as a car lane.  It is the longest straight away of the ride and once again I can focus on how well my legs are turning. There are a few places where I have to watch the drivers because they never watch me but this road is bliss.  Rolling hills and easy shifting.  High gears and fast speeds.  I try and improve my pace knowing the next leg will slow me down. 

As I turn to head home I am always fooled into expecting an easy time of things but it is never so.  looking ahead I can not witness any significant hill.  There is a rise that is easily seen but the significance of this climb is always underestimated. I get to a specific spot and every time I hit this section of road I feel like I am pedaling backwards.  I lose my frame of reference as to where the hill starts and how long I will need to pace it out.  This always catches me off guard so I am forced to muddle through. 

I turn left to head towards the road I used to ride out this way and this is where I feel the descent to the hidden hill I just climbed.  This road is full of twists and turns and I must always share it with motor vehicles.  The road is narrow and the curves makes it hard to see the other vehicles and for them to see me.  This hinders my ability to take advantage back side of the hill and generate the type of speed I would normally see.  After I dip down to a stream crossing I climb back up and I am surrounded by fields again.  I am now racing to meet the end of this road before my sixty minute mark.  In the beginning of the season I am most often behind schedule. 

I turn back onto the road that took me out and I begin to retrace my steps.  At this point I am unable to ride this familiar flat at the same pace I did coming out, but I come close.  I know that I will finally have the chance to take advantage of the first hill that I climbed and I will reach my top speeds of the ride.  I look forward to having the hill to myself as I prefer to move to the middle of the road when traveling at high speed.  There is less debris and I feel like I am less likely to crash.  

As I come upon the down-slope I realize I have shifted to the highest available gear.  Even still I must exceed my cadence just to keep up with the back wheel.  I don’t even realize my speed until I hit the second wave of the down-slope   When I do, my heart pumps a boost of adrenaline into my veins as I am frightened by the actual speed. When I come upon the bend I realize my heart is pumping almost as hard as it did when I climbed this hill.  I let the bike coast as I roll through the bend and let my mind catch up to my body. 

If only that was the way the ride would end, but there is now one big climb ahead of me.  The road I will turn onto is a road that puts a strain on my car when I come home at night.  The hill starts very steep, the grade decreases but the hill lingers for a while.  Once I get past the initial steep climb I will have to continue to climb for several minutes.  All that said this is the last big challenge of the ride and I look forward to it.  

It is that same busy intersection I first encountered when I started the ride, so it is unlikely that I will carry any momentum into the hill - traffic will prevent that.  Once I start on the hill I am so excited by the prospect of the climb that I am half way up the steep grade before I realize that I am on the hill.  My breathing changes and my legs burn but it feels so good!  As I progress I feel like I can look past this steep climb and onto to the lower grade.  It is a sense of relief even though the rest of this hill is as difficult as any other that I have been over in this ride. 

Once off of the steep grade my efforts shift from my legs to my lungs.  The burning in my legs backs off but my lungs look to convert all the air that surrounds me into fuel to move through my blood over my entire body.  My heart beats not only quickly but firmly and hard.  I can feel that it is moving my chest with each pulse pounding within.  I am amazed by the symphony of events that take place within the confines of my body in order to ensure that I reach the apex.  

Each time I ride it gets a bit easier.  Soon I will need another, bigger hill to maintain this sensation.  It is great that this hill comes near the completion of my ride. As I am able to sit back onto the saddle, I know that this challenge has hit my overall pace so I listen for the statistics to make sure I have not reduced my hard work too much.  I look for ways to extend the mileage a little bit and work at increasing the pace for my cool down.  

I pull into the neighborhood and I circle around to cool down.  As I see my house come into view I begin to return to reality but with a new outlook.  I am exhausted and exhilarated.  The payoff is incredible - emotionally I have been taken through the paces.  I am content with the results and enjoy the afterglow. 

I have taken inspiration from my friend and fellow rider +Harj Dhillon  and decided to write a little about my experiences and thoughts while on the bike. I hope that there are some folks out there who will enjoy the expression.  

If you like you can view +Harj Dhillon 's blog here: http://whyibike.blogspot.com/