Perception of height

August 15th, 2024

I am constantly on the lookout for the most perfect route for my cycling. The one when I can cycle downhill all the way. So far, I haven't been able to find that route, but I will keep trying. Until then, when I cycle, I have to deal with hills and ascents and steep inclines — unfortunately. It was the same today when I decided, reluctantly, to go on a route that I hadn’t cycled on for at least a few months. And the reason for that avoidance was that there were four hills along the way that were taxing on my calves and my lungs. No matter that — today I decided to go for it. When I got to the first hill, I was in for a surprise — that hill looked much smaller and the incline was more gradual than I remembered. I only had to go one gear down to climb it, and I didn't lose any pace doing that. The same with the second and the third. I was keeping a very good pace climbing and wasn't even getting tired. The last hill was the biggest. In the past, there were times that I had to get off my bike and walk to the top because I couldn't get there cycling. Today, all I had to do was go down three gears and stand on the pedals right before getting to the top, and still, I kept a very good pace and cadence. Each of those four hills and the ascent to the top were much smaller and more gradual than I had pictured them in my mind. My perception of those hills was completely off when compared to the reality of what I saw (and cycled) myself. That is very strange to me. I always thought I had a very good geographical memory and a firm grasp on the reality of the physical features around me. It is possible that I don't. Or maybe my internal perception of my own strength and condition is wrong. Maybe I am in much better shape than I think I am, and that is why each of the climbs today seemed so easy. Anyway — I think I want to work on my perception in general since it seems way off recently.