No sooner do we get out of the canyon and into the sunshine, but the head winds pick up. Uuugh, there seems to always be some force working against us, but we plugged on. I have become an expert drafter which unfortunately means that my scenery consists of nothing more than watching Karlo's back tire, but it's worth it to catch the draft.
Lunch was really nice at the Redcliff Canyon. We had quite the spread in such a lovely setting. I so enjoyed sitting in the sun, chatting with our new friends, and strolling around taking snapshots near the river.
Dinner was at this same place which was also a winery. We had time to sample the wines and swap riding stories with other bikers. Dinner included a talk by an ex-racer and two-time Tour de'France rider. What a hoot it was to hear his stories. It was so inspiring to hear all about the passion for riding that stayed alive in him for over a decade. How does anybody develop such a passion? Especially when it consists of riding over 20K miles a year in the worst possible conditions. My God it was inspiring.
Between the stories from the pro-rider and stories about cancer survivors, it all just made me reflect on life. It made me think back to both rides we just rode, when I got passed by a guy biking with one leg. Here I am wishing the uphill would end quickly and this guy flies by me, no doubt just thrilled to be on a bike. It made me wish that I could develop a passion for life (the same passion that the ex-pro biker had for riding) without having to first face death. I wonder if it's possible to really live like you're dying, when you're not. I really want to strive for that feeling.
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