The Hill

A year and a half ago when I got back into cycling after being sick, I wanted to head to this park about a mile away from our house. It’s (a relatively mild) uphill all the way, with the park itself sitting on a big hill with a keen view of the valley and mountains in the distance. Unfortunately I was so out of shape, I couldn’t make it. In fact, I could barely make it to the base of the park’s hill, having to walk my bike the rest of the way. Soon after that I made it my goal to reach a particular bench with a particularly great view, from my house, in one go with no stops.

Then I got sick again last year and fell out of cycling for a while longer. With the dawn of 2004, I have gotten back on track, slowly building up my fitness and stamina, with rides of increasing duration and severity.

Two years ago, I couldn’t ride a mile and then up the hill to that park.

Last summer I would have been dying after a four-mile “around the neighborhood” ride.

A couple of days ago I did an “around the valley” 20-mile ride, my longest so far.

Tonight was only eight miles, but four of them were uphill. And you know what? I passed that park on the way up.

I stopped a couple of times, about once a mile, as it was all uphill until the halfway point, and I’m just beginning hill training. As I prepared for the descent, I saw another hill up ahead, known locally as The Point. It overlooks the entire valley and is a hell of a climb, even from my halfway point.

And just like that, with the California sun beginning to approach the horizon, casting the valley in hazy relief, the mountains in silhouette, I have a new goal.

The descent home was priceless.