Uphill Climb

SOLS Challenge Day 12

My heart pounded, my quads burned, and my breathing came in ragged gasps.  I kept my eyes focused on the spinning tire 6 inches in front of me.  My husband had promised that he would pull me up the hill if I could keep up with him-- it's called drafting, and apparently it works. 

As we furiously peddaled up the gradual incline together, he yelled, "20 miles an hour!"  I know for a fact I could not have gone that fast without him in front of me, leading the way and taking the brunt of the headwind.

As I tried to concentrate on nothing but his back tire in front of me, I had fleeting thoughts of debris in the road that could send us flying over our handlebars.  What if he had to stop too quickly and we ended up on the side of the road, a tangle of tires and bits of bike?  I had to push those thoughts out of my head and focus.  I had to put all my trust in him. 

Today is our 19th wedding anniversary. One of the reasons that we have made it this far is that we allow each other to draft once in a while.  We completely and totally trust each other to take the lead and pull the other up life's proverbial big hills. 

We have had our share of uphill climbs, but so far it has been a pretty good ride.