It's all about The Dirt:

It’s a dirt roller coaster and I’m 12 all over again.

The climb: The heart-thumping anticipation of the click, click, click, click as I crank up…
➠ the pedals on my feet
➠ head up, eyes glued
➠ steady and focus on my line
➠ hit the tippy top, and down I gooooo

…one finger on each brake can be my best friend, or my worst enemy.

But when the view is vast, the trail is straight and the line is clear, I let it rip! That feeling of letting go of the brakes and the bike really floats over anything. The tension in my hands ease and euphoria begins to seep into my veins. Open up the brakes and the wheels fly over rocky terrain with reckless abandon. Speed is my friend, and momentum gives me courage.

A good descent on a trail is like a song that’s easy to dance to. Let go and feel…

➠ the rhythm of the rocks,
➠ the flow of corners,
➠ the beat of the roots,
➠ the wind whistling in your ear,
➠ the leaves cheering you on and giving you hi-fives as you whiz by.

Let you and the bike be one as you ride hi on a berm, leave the earth as you leap off of a jump and let the dust fly in your path.

That’s life: To let your brakes go and get into a positive rhythm. Don’t let the doom and gloom be a rock in the trail that takes you down. Brakes do have a purpose just like caution does… but to live life in gridlock (because the world tells you so) has no purpose.

Have the guts to let go of the brake, and you will soar to the dreamy place of living your inner truth.

Solo mind and body
Cows munching

Wind resisting me
Fast, tan legs

Conscious breath
Rollers to play on

Sunshine all over
Silky road

Little cars
Sunflower smiles

Dodging grasshoppers
Deep, brown cattails

Horse tails sweeping in the wind
Birds flying overhead

Leaves blowing
River flowing

A tailwind to sail me home

Electric sky
Raindrop in my eye

~ Julie Feilen

… clearly one of my Top 10 spins

Photo courtesy of Chris Jules

Ride = feel productively tired, buzzed and happy. Don’t ride = feel crabby, antsy and caged. Simple stuff.

“Cycling, it’s one of those sports you can do eight hours a day. You’re going to be tired at the end, but if you did an eight-hour run you wouldn’t run again for a week. I think people are better, smarter, more present and more patient when they’ve done some type of exercise — that goes for an eight-year-old and a 68-year-old — and I need more, perhaps more than most people, to get the results I want. Bike racing is the thing that provides me with the most balance.” –Lance Armstrong

People pay big money on meds and therapists for the pleasant “high” you get from a bike ride. Whether you are the cruiser type or serious cyclist, the velo buzz runs deep… deep into the core of the mind and body to produce endorphins, burn calories and bond with the outdoors.

My recent high country, endurance ride told me so. Dang, that ride was tough… but fun! Climb, then climb, then climb until the legs and lungs scream “are we there yet?” But to bask in the views, have the silky plants and flowers brush your legs as you pedal past, and to breathe in the green aromas puts you in a state of pure euphoria… mmmmmm. Dodging the killer rocks, planting myself in a bush and digging a pedal in my shin, it was all good. So good. I stopped and looked over at my friend who is well-seasoned with the “high” country and said “This makes you tough.” She said “Yep, that’s why I like it.”

Nope, I’m not crazy. There are many others, so that makes me sane. The velo buzz is alive and well. Check out this info from studies they’ve done (taken from from bicycling.com, an article called “Really Done” by Bill Strickland):

“Afterward, I researched the idea he (Lance) was talking about and confirmed that this is not just some idiosyncratic theory of the good life Armstrong has cooked up as justification. There are some scientific indications that because cycling combines sustained aerobic exercise with complex brain functions such as balance, timing and spatial awareness, it might be ideally suited to soothe the brain. In a 2008 study of 115 students at the Humboldt University of Berlin’s Institute of Sport Science, students who engaged in 10 minutes of exercise that required complex, highly coordinated movements performed better on a test measuring attention and concentration than students who did simpler aerobic exercise. (And both groups tested better than when they hadn’t exercised.) Another study at Vanderbilt University found that after performing short, complex exercises that emphasized balance and quick reaction and decision making — all descriptors of what it takes to navigate a race peloton — adults were 40 percent more successful at solving a puzzle than when trying to do so after being idle. In a 2005 survey of clinical trials and research held at a conference in Washington, D.C., among the presentations from scientists from Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins, the University of Wisconsin and Duke University Medical School were findings that the changes in the brain activity of meditating monks are directly comparable to the changes that occur during the act of pedaling a bicycle.”

Get out and ride. Feel the wind in your face, bugs in your teeth from grinning ear-to-ear, and enjoy the scenery. If it’s raining, smell the sweet air, get dirty flinging mud everywhere (if you don’t, go faster) and splash in the puddles. Be a kid… we still really are, but just in a bigger body.

Prove it. Live it. Enjoy it.

Here goes my Ironhorse Bicycle Classic road race experience:

The morning was sweet. Sun was a risin’, weather was perfect, breakfast was stomached well and my routine was intact. I was smooth as silk breaking into the day without jitters or any major breakdowns.

I prepped for the ride with my new kit (translation: Cool bike clothes that make you feel faster), scanned the bike and was ready to roll… on time. For me, that’s a miracle in itself. I really didn’t have a choice when the race doesn’t wait for me, but my friends will.

I wanted to warm-up with my ipod to some rippin’ music, but then I decided to be with my thoughts. I needed to center myself on this new fast feat of feet; 5,570 feet of climbing to be exact. I learned this new breath watching technique that calmed me before a hefty ride, so I put it into action.

Then the time factor crept in. I finished my warm-up with excitement and headed down to the start not totally knowing what time it was. 7:50 was race start and I knew that I needed to hustle. Time was ticking and my heart started beating fast, knowing that it was going to be close. I got to the spot and saw the groups all lined up, so I jumped a curb on my road bike (bad) and bolted to the start. Whew! I had 2 minutes to spare, trying to look cool like I planned it. The pros call it a “pro-start”, but my nerves were a rattled like a sweating amateur. I don’t think I’d do that again on purpose.

And we’re off! Cruising with “the girls” was amazing. Estrogen rolling thunder is how I describe the sound. 42 women in a pack all squeezed together whirring with the road in harmonious unison. The energy was definitely addicting and swept me through the Valley with ease. As we carried each other through the only flat section, the group morphed into different shapes: Ovals, squares and circles, all snuggled together like bugs in a rug. Some women got pushy (surprising, huh?) and one feisty chick sneaks into my spot within an inch of my bars, intimidating me to back off. I didn’t feel like wrecking (crashing) right out of the gate, so passing her on one of the climbs was definitely satisfying. Girls can get nasty!

As the group broke up on the first tough climb, one rider had an asthma attack. We were all gasping for air pushing as fast as we could up, but hearing someone breathing through a straw was rattling. And I thought MY body was crying for air!
I looked over to make sure she was okay, and she nodded a yes. This was the easy climb… I couldn’t imagine what the rest of the ride would be for her.

The rollers (translation: Small hills up, but not as much down) began with speed. The best part about this section of the race is that your heart gets somewhat of a break before the wicked, high altitude, 6-mile climb up Coal Bank Pass. I was with a pack of 4 women sailing past the touring folks just enjoying the ride. I picked up another water bottle on-the-fly from my husband, and then lost my chain and had to stop. I fixed it and hammered up ahead to catch my little posse, otherwise I would have been “behind” in my race game.

There’s a feeling I get after I’ve ridden mainly uphill for 29 miles or so and when I arrive at the Coal Bank climb, it always humbles me. At an altitude of about 9,000 feet to start, the body doesn’t quite function at optimum power. My head starts to mess with me too. A sharp turn begins the 6-mile climb, trying to suppress the feeling of dread that starts to wash over me.

How much can I put out? Will the climb go faster today? Have I eaten enough? Can I keep my thoughts in check?

The mental game begins. Drink. Eat. Power, steady but fast. Keep looking up. Strong legs. Stay relaxed. Positive self-talk throughout. Stand, sit and listen to waterfalls flow as I pass. Soak it all in… and then I was at the top!! A joy worth breathing for.

Now is where the fun begins. This is not for the faint-hearted. I fly down a mountain at 47 mph+ on a windy, twisty road with tight turns, no guardrails in places and descend 808 feet in 2 miles. It’s like jumping out of an airplane (I imagine), hoping and praying that everyone stays out of your way and your bike doesn’t spontaneously explode at any second. It’s one of the biggest rushes ever.

Back to climbing… again. One more climb. Molas pass tops out at 10,900 feet and kicks my butt! It’s deceiving because it doesn’t look steep and it’s not too long, but the body revolt starts to kick in: Crampy legs, achy back, lungs are tired, but morale can empty the tank. The climb begins with a hairpin turn and a gusty headwind EVERY time! The sharp wind in the face is enough to zap the energy out of my legs. I just always remember it doesn’t last and as soon as you round the bend, the wind calms. I felt super strong all the way to the top. I love to climb.

I topped out at Molas Pass with one more descent to go… the tough one. Winter was brutal on this road. Pot holes, ruts, rough asphalt, and blue circles painted everywhere to warn you of obstacles. I compared it to a mountain bike ride on singletrack where you had to pick a line through rough terrain. Trying to go as fast as I can, navigating through tight turns, people and freaky drop-offs. Danger at it’s finest… yes, I’m a thrill-seeking junkie.

The final stretch was the sprint to the finish. 3 hours 14 minutes later. My best time yet, and one of the biggest smiles ever.

Wanna join me next year? It’s a ride you’ll never forget…

Photos courtesy of Animas Media