The Thrill of the Climb

........................................(view from atop flagstaff)

Road cycling is considered quite possibly the best overall aerobic workout for the body. It is great because of the variety of workouts you can do. You can do anything from a long distance endurance ride to a full out sprint. But nothing is as rewarding as the climb.

When I first started cycling, I never wanted to climb. I asked why anyone would want to put their body through so much pain and aguish when instead you could go faster on the flats. It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized the awesome reward of completing a climb.

I live in Randall Scott’s hometown of Boulder, Colorado. This is a climber’s dream town. One of the most famous and grueling climbs in the nearby area is Flagstaff Mountain. This climb is a seven mile switchback road with grades as steep as 15%. The ride starts off with a steep 2.5 miles full of incredible views over the city of Boulder and of course, the University of Colorado. The next two miles continue to get steeper until you reach the calmer finishing miles. This allows you to regain your strength for the push to the summit.

Once at the top of Flagstaff Mountain, just like any other climb, is a feeling like none other. Although your body is exhausted, you feel a burning need for more. That is why climbing is the heart and soul of road cycling. It is the purest moment of any sport, a moment where your mind overcomes the limits of the body in order to achieve something great.

Big C