Capitol Hill Climb for the Climb

Time to walk the talk (so to speak) and Kinnavey, Ryan and I head to the Mt. Pilchuck trail head to see where we're at.  On a Monday afternoon there's 40 more cars than I was hoping for and I more than anything want to pout and go home.  I'm clearly the guy who's different from the everyone else and find myself oddly self-conscious.  Swallowing my pride, we start up the trail.

The flies are merciless, the trail sweaty as we get a groove on.  There is so much to learn and adapt to but we figure it out fast.  We stomp over boulders, cross bridges with the front tires just barely gripping the side rails, at one point I even tipped over bike and all.  Hikers reactions range from indifferent to positively encouraging and I'm just glad to be back in my element with two of my closest friends.  Maybe a mile into it and a quarter sized blister is tearing up my thumb.  The irony!  Turned around by a blister but feeling triumphant.  Sitting back at the car exhausted and sore with an energy that can only come from the trail.  What a milestone to have reached, 3 years after laying freshly paralyzed in bed wondering how I'll go on....

Back the next day at Bombadil's Dojo with a bandaged thumb cranking laps again.  I feel stronger and am getting my pace dialed in.  I play a mental game, imagining the voice of the Creator is in my head (Kinnavey calls it Jerry, my merciless Pushing Boundaries trainer).  When I feel like exploding it asks "Jon, can you give me 5 more cranks?" and I always reply "Yes I can" and crank out 5 more.  Without fail I go 50+ turns farther than I thought I had in me and take a short and humbled rest.  

Who else but Steve drops by, an honored guest at the hideout and I hop off the bike and jump into the lake.  You can barely make out the buoy that I swim out to, alternately swinging my arms and legs "walking" if you will, crawling and back stroking.  I recently overcame the fear of being face down (didn't go so well last time) and am re-getting used to opening my eyes and breathing under water.  We head back to the dock and Steve climbs up on the top deck, scoping his landing below.  If you didn't know, you might think he was nervous to jump but instead stomps a front flip with a half twist followed by a flawless backflip on the eve of his 50th birthday.  Show us the way Strider!

Taking a much needed rest today and managed a rare but restorative nap.  Woke up feeling like I should exercise but didn't have the ambition so grabbed the walker instead.  I walked 50', took a short break and headed back.  Where I usually have to sit down on the return route, "the Voice" asks "Can you give me 5 more steps?" "Yes I can" and I make it the entire 50' back, my personal best.