Feeling stronger!

Thanks to my dad, I have had a love of cycling for as long as I can remember! I remember finally making it to the top of a steep climb near where we lived in Watertown and feeling so proud! 

When I moved to Colorado in 2003, I found out that one could not blast up a climb like you can in SD. I had to find my pace and just keep moving up. After getting in the climbs and miles, I could feel myself getting stronger and climbing then gets addicting! 

This year, I am late to the game, so to speak. I haven't ridden this summer nearly as often as I normally do. My bike needed some work so this was one reason. My brother put my bike together when I arrived and we got new tires, gearing wires, things I needed initially to get out on a ride. Then, I was able to take off! 

In the past, I joined a local cylcing club and had a blast going on group rides. I knew I needed a few rides by myself first to get up some altitude and strength. One of my first rides was out to Carter Lake (Reservoir) which was a couple of hours. Then, I rode to Masonville, then towards Fort Collins, went over the Dams West of Fort Collins then through town and back to Loveland by the bike trail along Shields/Taft. This takes me a little over 3 hours. The photo below is the most Southerly Dam. The climb is steep but not too long. 

After these rides, I decided to go for a ride through Buckhorn Canyon. The old Ford Hill is a 12% grade climb and about a mile uphill. It's called the Old Ford Hill as Fords had to drive up this once gravel hill backwards otherwise they would stall as the gas could not get to the engine.This climb is of course after several other 12% and lower climbs to get out here! Then, I was rewarded with about 13 miles of a descent down Rist Canyon. Then over the Dams and because I was tired, I went back to Loveland on the flatter bike trail instead of through Masonville again. This was about 55 miles. 

This past Saturday, I decided to ride towards Estes Park from Loveland on Highway 34. About 20 miles in at a small town of Drake, I turned off and rode towards Glen Haven which has less traffic but a steep climb after Glen Haven called The Devil's Switchbacks! Cyclists call it a slap in the face after a pretty gentle climbing beforehand! It kind of has three parts; the first that you can see below...

Then your first switchback below...

And while I was going up that switchback, you can see the ascent on the other side which takes you to another switchback, then up to the top of the climb. 

In the photo below, you can see the mountains above Estes Park. Estes is about 4 miles more down this road. I took a short break as I was feeling some altitude, then headed back down for a total of 51 miles. 

Why would I do this?! Am I crazy? Well, maybe. But if I am, there are a whole lot of others who are craxy as well as cycling is well loved here in the Front Range of Colorado. Do you have something that you love doing even though it is hard? Especially at the beginning until you get into the groove or feel yourself getting stronger? Cycling is that for me and I think this can transition spiritually as well. As we live out our lives following Christ, there are some sections where we feel strong and our walk with Christ feels good. Then, perhaps a death in the family, hard relationship struggles, there is a long steep hill to climb. We may be asking God why? We can't blast up the long steep hill. If we do, we will lose our strength too quickly, Instead, we persevere, live by faith, even when we struggle to understand. We cling to the truths we know are true in God's Word even if the rest of the world is clearly headed in the opposite direction. If we are accepted by culture, then we need to ask ourselves if we are really living for Christ. Living for Christ is counter-cultural. As we persevere, God gives us the strength to get through the hard trials or to reach the top of the climb. We can't do it in our own strength but He provides the strength we need. 

I love this verse from Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

I just got back from cycling with a local club tonight and can feel that I am getting stronger which is great! Last week, I struggled a bit to keep up, but this week, I felt really good and it was easier to keep up with the group. I do like to ride in the back as I am not used to riding in a group. :)