Saturday's ride turned out to to be a bit more than I imagined. I was hoping that one of these Saturday's the guys would want to take a long ride and include some hills. We've been doing brief stretch of short rides in order to get back in time for other weekend tasks.
But this Saturday, my wish came true. The four of us decided to climb Hawk Mtn.
It started out ok leaving from Trexlertown just across from the velodrome. The usual Saturday morning groups assembling and milling about. The weather was overcast and slightly on the balmy side of the lower 80's.
It turns out that one of our favorite roads was recently tarred and cindered. For those of you that don't have this wonderful technology of roadwork, it consists of laying down a layer of hot tar across the road surface and then dumping tons of small stone across the entire road. Yes, both lanes. So, riding for a few miles on small sharp stones makes one hope that all of the claims the tiremaker spouted were true. I use Gatorskins on the advice of my brother who knows a ton more about equipment that I can dream of. So far so good.
By the time we reach the base of the Hawk, there's a mist at the top of the mountain. Peeking above the trees, you get more of a sense of what you're about to encounter. So we climb. The eldest of our group today, Bruce, is the strongest. Even though he's 69 (yes - you read it right) he's got enough in his legs even a young 20-something would be amazed. He tells me that as we get closer to the top, it will get steeper.
Scott's another one that's got power hidden away. He's a tad bit older than I and a cancer survivor. He and Bruce take off and disappear up the road. Glen, who's older than me and Scott, takes a needed break behind a tree from all the water he's been taking in. So, he's way behind me.
Don't take me wrong, I love a good climb. I even go looking for them. But, I'm not that fast. Just keep turning them cranks, that's all I hear.
After awhile, the road definitely gets steeper. Bruce and Scott are gone out of sight, and Glen is somewhere behind me. I look ahead and all I see is more climbing (it must be two miles already!) and more trees. At this point, I think my lungs are going to jump out of my chest and quit. So, I do what I hate -- I unclip, stop, and put my foot down to get a breather. Yep, the Hawk beat me today.
Glen meanwhile spins by me (I need to get a triple crank!) and says, "almost there!" Really? I get back on the bike and slowly start climbing again. The speed picks up more since I believe Glen must be right. Sure enough, just around the bend is the top. Why did I stop!??! I was almost there! Glen teases me at the top.
"We must be pretty sad. A 69 yr old and a cancer survivor beat us up here!" he says. Thanks. Just what I need to remember since we're only half way home now.
It's the same way in life, isn't it? We think we're beat and we quit. Only to find out that we were so close the goal. They say that the best things in life are free. I say maybe, but sometimes those things taste sweeter when they're mixed in with some sweat and tears.
Your mountain may be your job, school, a test coming up, girl-friend, boy-friend, spouse, whatever. If you quit, you may be really disappointed to find out how close you really were. Sometimes I think that I if I were God, I may have given up on some things long ago. I'm glad He doesn't.
Psalm 138:8 reads, "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands." (NIV)
God doesn't abandon His work. He isn't even intimidated by what many would think are unsurmountable odds. I think sometimes He even looks for them. You may think you're one of them. A time was when I thought I was impossible.
The next time we ride up the Hawk, I'm not getting off. If the guys I ride with can do it, then so can I.
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No hill so steep, no wind so cruel, as a mind set against itself.
