The wind is against us
Kyle McDowell
FCBA cyclist
I believe I speak for everyone when I say that the ride from Pocatello, Idaho to Logan, Utah was our most challenging ride yet. Our maps told us to head south to Utah, but the 25 mph sustained headwinds (with gusts that reach up to 50 mph) told us we were going the wrong way. I am very happy to report that I was able to complete the entire 96 mile ride, though I will say it was definitively the most difficult ride I have every done.
Personally, headwind is the most discouraging element to face while biking. Climbs are great; one usually has an idea of where the top is, (or is at least aware of the existence of a top) and is often rewarded with an exhilarating descent. Cold, heat, and rain are tolerable; one is usually acclimated within the first 15 minutes.
But headwind, it is an invisible force that just seems to endlessly resists one’s every will. Nothing gets in my head quite like looking down at my bike computer to see that all my hard work for the past hour has only advanced me a handful of miles. I recall actually being completely halted by a rush of wind at one point and I had to stop and wait out the gusts.
I wanted to give up. I wanted to throw myself off my bike just to have an excuse to get in the van. But I didn’t give up. I found strength in God’s grace, in my friendships with my fellow cyclists, in my sponsors, and I felt energized and determined by our team’s cause. Though the wind is against us, God is for us and we will always press on to serve a world in need.
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