Fresh off my second ride of the Tour de Los Padres (TDLP) bikepacking race in Central California, I’m still untangling a big knot of feelings. The biggest threads seem to be: proud, humbled, and grateful.
I feel proud of what my body can do just a year after having my baby, and after nearly three years off from challenging bikepacking. Pregnancy and recovery are a frustratingly long journey, and this ride officially marks my arrival on the other side.
I feel humbled because damn, that was a hard ride! The route was burly and rugged, with tons of climbing, and plenty of backcountry singletrack complete with leg-slashing foliage and stupid steep hike-a-bike. I spent the first two days wondering what the heck I was thinking to choose this as my comeback ride. It did work out in the end, but it was not a “good idea” in the traditional sense…