As cyclists some of our 'rhythms' are different.
I did a lot of mulling about hills this year as we edged round the Massif Central.
There's the satisfaction of getting a hill right - speed, gears, energy, all paced right so that there's something left for the final push.
As a lumpy 50 something on a laden high street store basic bike, more often than not I would get it wrong, so I did lots of walking up hills too. Sometimes I needed Peter to pace me - or I would set too fast a pace and exhaust myself.
But a good long steady walking push is an opportunity for close study of the hedgerow or field edge. There was an exquisite sky blue butterfly on a lilac blue scabious flower that I won't forget for a long time. What is the rusty red (in autumn) fluffy growth I saw in the bushes - a round clump like a miniature mistletoe so I assume it's parasitic? Toadstools on the cut ends of logs stacked up, autumn crocus, blackberries, the way the light reflects of blades of grass, the variations in vine leaves - plenty to appreciate as the miles slowly go by. All these are familiar to walkers as well, of course.
But for us cyclists after the uphill comes a downhill! Suddenly we can stop all physical effort, settle our bottoms comfortably on the saddle and go-ooooo! A minute before we were hot and sticky, maybe panting, noticing a beetle crossing the road and hearing every rustle in the dry leaves, now the wind is cooling and drying us off and instead of heads down, studying every botanical detail, we're heads up, looking out across the landscape, considering the bigger picture - why are the hills that shape? which river valley is this we're sweeping into? where have the vines gone and what is that crop over there? is that church spire the first sign of our night's rest or is there much further to go?
And of course, sooner or later, as the rhythm re-asserts itself, along comes the next uphill!!
If I can do it, attached is a picture of Peter eating lunch at the top of the long uphill out of Tonnerre, north of Vezelay, during which we saw the butterfly on the scabious mentioned above!
No I can't - I'm sure I managed to do it before?! Well, when I can work it out, I will do so!!
