Mental Toughness

Tracy Lerner is the owner and director of CrossRoads adventures.  Each evening before supper, we get together with her to go over the next day's ride and cue sheet. (Our cue sheet is clipped on Jeff's back for me to read and direct.  That distracts the fact that I am looking at his posterior all day.) 
As we go through the cue sheet she tells us about potential hazards and pitfalls - literally pit falls.  One of the things I admire about this woman is the fact that she is honest and forthright.  There is no innuendo, no sugar coating, no false optimism.  So - you can imagine my dismay, when the day before yesterday, during Route Rap she informed us that the next day's ride was all uphill. All.

She was true to her word. (Where's that sugar coat when you need it?)  Jeff and I climbed for eight hours and fifteen minutes yesterday.  We had a gain of 5,500 feet.  On a single bike, it would have been challenging.  On a tandem - grim.  The road was full of false flats and false summits.
The pavement was at times benevolent, and others - a brutal reminder that your bottom is indeed attached to nerve endings. Lots of them. The impact on your body and spirit are palpable.

Jeff and I trained with a series of DVDs called Spinervals, with Coach Troy Jacobson.  One of our favorites was called Mental Toughness.  I found myself closing my eyes yesterday (benefit of being a stoker) thinking - no Coach Troy, not in the luxury of our home gym, but here - this moment, right now, requires mental toughness.

Three good things came from this:  we arrived in Santa Fe for our rest day today, the views were amazing, amazing, amazing, and finally, I told Jeff that he now holds a better understanding of the discomfort and forging ahead mentality of labor.
He wasn't so amused.

Not so tough chick - just stubborn.

In the distance - what we climbed over.

Miles around us of absolutely nothing but trees, sand, soil and rocks.

Cool rocks...