Blather on Bicycling

Today I put in a good time trial on Foothill Rd. The effort out was into a pretty nasty, gusting wind. When I made the turn, I saw my time was very good so I was inspired for the return trip. On the way back I experienced “runner’s high.” This is a phenomena in endurance sports that sport psychologists can’t fully explain. It is something above and beyond the regular endorphin release in ordinary exercise. Another term psychologists use to explain a similar experience in other sports is “flow.”  During flow the action seems to move in slow motion and movements are effortless while the athlete produces an extraordinary performance. The runner’s high is somewhat different because it occurs during endurance activities and the athlete achieves a euphoria along with the effortless movement. In my case, I was cruising after a hard effort into the wind and I couldn’t even feel my legs. I saw the road, bumps, and surrounding landscape with heightened acuity. My time definitely confirmed the experience as the return 5.5 mile trip took 10:47 which is just under a 31 mph average. Now I know what it is like to average TT speeds like the elite pros, the only difference is that I had a 17 mph tailwind.

Another weekend riding in Boise, another flat. My three-year flat-free streak is still alive for road biking in Union County, but once again I got a goat head in my tire riding in Boise. Thankfully, the change was completed right before a volatile thunderstorm hit me and another rider just short of our destination. Winds were clocked at 50+ mph and then hail started pelting us so bad it stung. Amusingly, the wind was wreaking havoc and causing all kinds of pandemonium in the Treasure Valley; yet it felt like a typical ride in the Grande Ronde Valley. I regularly experience winds like that while out on the road. In fact, on a nice sunny Friday I confronted similar winds in Baker City. On my way to Boise I stopped there for a quick ride past the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. This is a really nice ride from the freeway exit and the little climb up the to the interpretive center is very impressionable.