The Hills have Gravity
No, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth (or a cliff for that matter). I have been ramping up my get-in-shape-or-die (maybe it should be and die) program. On Thursday I went mountain biking again and noticed that after a big hill I was able to recover pretty quickly.
Later, I was talking to my research advisor (who does a lot of cycling), and he showed me a Lane County (where I live) cycling map. He said the a good hills route was out Dillard Road to highway 99, south to Creswell, over to Lorane highway, then loop back to town. Sounded good.
So, I get up Saturday, go to REI (I needed a few things for a distance ride, like a portable air pump). I left at about noon and headed towards Dillard road. For those not in the know, Dillard road is a bit steep and curvy. By the time I got to the top I was pretty tired, but I figured I was just getting warmed up. There was a bonus near the top, too: ripe blackberries. So, I took a break and ate berries.
The next segment (about 9 miles) started with a nice downhill section, followed by mostly flat terrain. I settled into the groove and felt pretty good all the way to Creswell. From there I headed west, and the road began to get hilly as I expected. Still, it wasn't so bad. About 15 miles into the trip I found an old pear tree next to the road which had some killer pears. I filled my bag, and ate one while riding on. By this time I was getting a bit hungry.
A few miles later I hit a bigger hill. My pace plummeted. I got about halfway up, and decided to stop for lunch. There was a nice spot on the inside of one of the curves that had nice moss-covered rocks and plenty of shade. I ate a sandwich and some popcorn I was carrying, along with another pear.
After my break, I struggled the rest of the way up the hill, and was very glad to reach the top. The descent was a blast. There were almost no cars on the road, so I took over the lane and sped down the hill at what was probably at or over the speed limit. The curves were great.
The next few miles had hills, but none to compare with that main one. When I reached Lorane highway the traffic was a little heavier, so I was glad when I was able to turn off and head for Eugene, though I was a bit worried that the sign said "Eugene 16". I was pretty tired by this point, and my legs were beginning to rebel.
A few miles of relatively minor hills later, and I came to Fox Hollow road. I turned onto this one with relief, knowing the road heads right to the south hills where I used to live. I hadn't realized at this point that I was 6 miles from the top of the hill.
I had never taken Fox Hollow to its end. I knew it was a big hill because I used to live off of it, but I didn't realize that Fox Hollow road would more appropriately be named "The Hill that Never Ends". It started to climb. My legs were already Jello. It kept climbing. I began to cramp.
I probably walked almost as much of that hill as I rode. I was never so glad to see the top of a hill as when I reached the top of this one. Luckily, there were no more uphill segments of note for the rest of the ride.
I got in at about 5pm. My friend Amanda called to see if I was up for a night hike with her and Matt up Spencer's Butte that evening. I said sure, but I was gong to be walking pretty slowly.
I cleaned up and at about 7pm I decided to take a nap. My alarm went off at 8pm, and there was no way in hell you were going to get me to walk up any kind of hill. I called and cancelled. I managed to drag myself out of bed this morning at around 10.
Later, I was talking to my research advisor (who does a lot of cycling), and he showed me a Lane County (where I live) cycling map. He said the a good hills route was out Dillard Road to highway 99, south to Creswell, over to Lorane highway, then loop back to town. Sounded good.
So, I get up Saturday, go to REI (I needed a few things for a distance ride, like a portable air pump). I left at about noon and headed towards Dillard road. For those not in the know, Dillard road is a bit steep and curvy. By the time I got to the top I was pretty tired, but I figured I was just getting warmed up. There was a bonus near the top, too: ripe blackberries. So, I took a break and ate berries.
The next segment (about 9 miles) started with a nice downhill section, followed by mostly flat terrain. I settled into the groove and felt pretty good all the way to Creswell. From there I headed west, and the road began to get hilly as I expected. Still, it wasn't so bad. About 15 miles into the trip I found an old pear tree next to the road which had some killer pears. I filled my bag, and ate one while riding on. By this time I was getting a bit hungry.
A few miles later I hit a bigger hill. My pace plummeted. I got about halfway up, and decided to stop for lunch. There was a nice spot on the inside of one of the curves that had nice moss-covered rocks and plenty of shade. I ate a sandwich and some popcorn I was carrying, along with another pear.
After my break, I struggled the rest of the way up the hill, and was very glad to reach the top. The descent was a blast. There were almost no cars on the road, so I took over the lane and sped down the hill at what was probably at or over the speed limit. The curves were great.
The next few miles had hills, but none to compare with that main one. When I reached Lorane highway the traffic was a little heavier, so I was glad when I was able to turn off and head for Eugene, though I was a bit worried that the sign said "Eugene 16". I was pretty tired by this point, and my legs were beginning to rebel.
A few miles of relatively minor hills later, and I came to Fox Hollow road. I turned onto this one with relief, knowing the road heads right to the south hills where I used to live. I hadn't realized at this point that I was 6 miles from the top of the hill.
I had never taken Fox Hollow to its end. I knew it was a big hill because I used to live off of it, but I didn't realize that Fox Hollow road would more appropriately be named "The Hill that Never Ends". It started to climb. My legs were already Jello. It kept climbing. I began to cramp.
I probably walked almost as much of that hill as I rode. I was never so glad to see the top of a hill as when I reached the top of this one. Luckily, there were no more uphill segments of note for the rest of the ride.
I got in at about 5pm. My friend Amanda called to see if I was up for a night hike with her and Matt up Spencer's Butte that evening. I said sure, but I was gong to be walking pretty slowly.
I cleaned up and at about 7pm I decided to take a nap. My alarm went off at 8pm, and there was no way in hell you were going to get me to walk up any kind of hill. I called and cancelled. I managed to drag myself out of bed this morning at around 10.
posted by tk | Sunday, September 10, 2006
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