Community

I did warn you that I wouldn't be all that good at this right?  So, we are now in Blacksburg on our rest day after climbing over the Blue Ridge and coming down the valley to the burg.  I realize that there are several blogs out there, and I suggest that if you are interested, you should read the others...after you have read mine of course.

When we left from Charlottesville the other day, the mood was somber to say the least.  The elevation profile for the day's ride was very scary, beyond scary.  Afton Mountain, and it haunted our dreams and our ride through the beautiful countryside of Charlottesville.  I am sure that others have done a much better job of describing the trials and tribulations of climbing the mountain, perhaps the majestic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains (by the way, if you have never seen them, you should.  Let me say that you will never ask why they are called what they are called when you see them, particularly from the parkway).  I will not pull any punches - it was one hell of a day of climbing.  It was a hard-fought view to say the least and the most meaningful view I've ever had, particularly when you consider that I rode all the way from the coast to see it!

We descended the mountains on a hair-raising road that would have been fun had I been invincible or crazy, but as it was, it was a white-knuckled ~40 mph roller-coaster ride from hell.

We all slowly pulled into Vesuvius VA behind a restaurant named "Gertie's."  If you happen to fall off the end of the map and end up in Vesuvius VA, go to Gertie's - if you like greasy food, you will NOT be disappointed.

Ok - so this was a long way round to tell you the story that I really wanted to tell you.  As the riders trickled into the backyard of Gertie's from their hours long struggle with Afton Mountain, exhausted and sweat-drenched, I noticed something amazing.  The 25 strangers that peered up the eastern slope of the mountain with fear and woe had become a team of individuals that flaunted the west slope with disregard and confidence.  I have been fortunate enough to see this type of miracle before in my life, where the impossible suddenly becomes possible, doors fly open in front of you and a whole wide world that you never dared dream of is layed out in front of you like a red carpet.  Unity and a healthy dose of hubris were our gifts to ourselves as we rocketed down the mountain.  The strangers had become a team.

In my years in Academia, I have heard talk of community throughout, something that we must build, forge, or you pick the verb, but the point is that community is hard-fought like all the best things in the world.  Our community was built on the blood, sweat, and tears (literally this time) of these amazing people that have decided to use their vacations to do something miraculous - to destroy their bodies day after day in the service of others.

I am having the time of my life!  A friend asked me why I looked so different, and I told her that this is my face without stress - something no one, not even I have seen in the last ten or so years.  The worst issues that I worry about each day are getting enough calories and what that noise my bike is making is.  Amen.

Oh - I almost forgot, I made a friend on the trip over the Blur Ridge Parkway - apparently this Fritillery (a type of butterfly) had a thing for my helmet, stayed there for like 10 min!