Victory

It was cool for the first twenty miles. Small rolling hills out to Aguora and then, as we rode toward the North Ranch area the sun began to peek around gray clouds. Jack was near on each of the climbs. I could hear his labored breathing until he gave. I felt victory in my veins, a small payback from years of being passed. But there were yet steeper and longer climbs ahead and after the Starbucks break came the first, Erbs.

He made no move to the front, even with my slow pace waiting to see what he would do, he made no move. But on the next climb, at Wood Ranch, he passed early. I came up on his tail at the end of the climb, he had a smile on his face that didn't bother me. We had to go through Simi Valley and to the Santa Sue climb. The longest and hardest of all the climbs. We rested before the climb with a soda and refill of our water bottles. Jack pulled out a plastic squeeze bottle of honey and squirted a good mouthful in in just before we left. Once the climb started, after the first steep section Jack once again passed but now, stayed about forty yards ahead. I waited.

As the miles went on into the climb I could see him tiring, each time I gained, he had to shift and spin, shift and spin, until near the top I went to a harder gear and swiftly passed before I went to the big chain ring and made distance between me and Jack.

When he pulled up to me on the other side of the climb, he said,"You certainly got a shot of adrenaline at the end there."

"Yeah, I sure did," I said with a smile on my face.

Ah, victory. Sweeter than honey.