Category 5

My legs are yelling at me. Though they are telepathically sent, oxygen deprived groans, I hear them loud and clear. If this is a Category 5, what is a Category 1?

Don’t worry, I get this question a lot, “Wes, what the hell are you talking about?” It’s 6:50 a.m. and I am biking up Bake Parkway to meet with coworkers for the Metrolink bike car launch.

I’m biking up a 2 mile hill that barely qualifies as a 3% grade and I’m suffering. To provide some context, Category 5 hills were invented recently by casual cyclers who wanted to quantify their weekend triumphs. Professional races only record climbs that are category 1-4. Plus, there is a “hors category”, which means beyond categorization. A 1 percent grade means a road ascends 1 meter (3.28 feet) for every 100 meters (328 feet) it advances. Beyond category climbs ascend at least 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) from start to finish and have an average grade of at least 7% for at least 15 miles.  

Let me translate this information for you. I am a wimp. What is my point? I love experiencing a challenge that upon completion, instantly gives you a new respect for a greater task. Ever try to bake a cake, carve something out of wood or make your own bed? Neither have I, but I bet doing those things would give you a tremendous amount of respect for people who turn these tasks into art on a daily basis.

I have thoroughly enjoyed juxtaposing cycling to everyday life. You may come to a very steep hill, filled with suffering, pain and a strong desire to quit, but rest assured that when you get to the top, the other side will propel you to exponentially faster speeds and the confirmation that the journey was worth the effort.