Alone, as I near the peak, I feel fast. The only person I race against I myself, and the ghosts I create. I throttle towards the summit, accelerating hard out of the tight switchbacks and glancing at the road ahead while focusing on the peak above. The kilometer markers posted at the roadside seem to come every couple of minutes. With nobody to judge me or compete against me, and no spectators to witness the effort, this is a solitary experience, a race I create. I can see my imagined finish line at the top. There, I will stop. I’ll look down at the valley below, at the road I have just ascended, and at the peaks around me. I will sip from my bottle. I will be alone. A few cows in the grass near the roadside - they will glance up as I near them and then bow towards the grass, continuing to eat. Beside them, a stone monument tells the story of the mountain or the saint. I will zip up my jacket, climb on my bike and begin the long descent. I feel free, but never alone. - Michael Barry Excerpt from Le Metier. ———————————Photo by @emilymaye #rapha #emilymaye #cycling #climbing #solitude #epicrides #cyclinginthemountains #mountaincycling #biketouring #mariposabikes #mariposabicycles #lemetier (at Tirol, Austria)
