No I haven’t lived for a century… yet. I just cycled in my first century. That is to say, I just biked a hundred miles throughout Seattle with my husband and riding partner, Scott.
What an amazing experience! Well it wasn’t amazing till I looked back on it at the finish line.
It was a much hillier coarse than we could have anticipated and those hills are exactly the range my emotions took throughout the 9 hr day. In the beginning I stood up to engage one mini elevation and without realizing it at the time, I tweaked my knee. This little ache in my joint had me worried from the start. With all of the preparation I had put in to the event I was afraid the pain would increase and cause me to have to quit. But as most things in my life it remained a mere worry and didn’t stop me from continuing. I adapted and took all of the climbs in a seated position.
The first major hill was the biggest of them all. In hindsight I find myself giggling as I recall the words that came out of my mouth. In one breath I heard myself saying,”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” and in the next mouthful it was “#@%!! ” Thank goodness I didn’t scream this for everyone to hear. I didn’t have enough oxygen to do so.
I learned something new about myself from this challenge. I love hills. When I engaged to ascend the climb something inside took over. An adrenaline and a strength I had not known before emerged and revealed something that surprised me. The sense of accomplishment in completing this hundred miles brings forth incredible emotion, even as I type this two months later.
What I have learned before about myself was proven once again: I am stronger than I think I am and it is only at the hardest moments that this truth is unveiled. Can’t wait for the next one. I think I’ll make it two hundred miles!
