Moments of sweet satisfaction. That delicious slice of life when it tastes as if the recipe was right after all - and not some typographical, gastronomical error. Moments when it all makes sense as immediate rewards earned from honest effort put forth manifest in truth.
I wish there could be more. And maybe there are. Perhaps I am simply too distracted to notice or too busy to help in spite of my relentless pursuit of the sacred present moment.
That fleeting now thing. Oh it will come around again soon and next time I will pay more attention to it. Go sit in the corner grasshopper.
Juxtaposing the rhetorical to the real, this morning one of those magical moments sprung like Old Faithful.
Upon completion of our hour spin, one of the regulars came to the riser and stood before me almost in tears.
She said this: It happened today.
What happened?
I got to 18 and held it for the duration.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Backstory being that 18 is a resistance setting we often use to simulate a difficult climb. Our bikes max out at 24 so 18 represents a full 75% of that value, or maybe around a 9-11% grade. Stubborn and steep. It is very hard to translate this to actual outdoor riding so we use a combination of these metrics coupled with our old spicy friend RPE, rate of perceived exertion. One thing is certain - spend enough time at 18 and even the strongest will quickly fatigue.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I repeated, announcing to those remaining that this is the way that we draw it up. Consistent, dedicated and gradual improvements will increase one's capabilities, increase their fitness, and most importantly, keep us moving in the right direction. Applause rang unabashedly.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The validation of this are truly moments to cherish.
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