So, when my best girlfriend decided to let me choose the route for our annual bike ride, of course, I chose to fight evolution. I did not intend the ride to be such a challenge, but profiles are abstract and difficult to imagine in the absence of action. At least I can only assume that's why she agreed.
After picking her up from LAX, we drove immediately to San Simeon, stealth camped, and tried to mentally prepare for what the morning would bring. Our plan was to bike from town to Big Sur, then back, totaling roughly 120 miles with more than 5000 ft of elevation gain, and we accomplished our goal in only 24 hours. The ride was challenging, particularly for Miranda who was coming from St. Louis where there are few training hills.
There are many aspects of the trip I could discuss, but I want to focus on the spillover effects that permeated our journey since understanding these effects might actually benefit humanity, whereas writing about the ride is of little societal importance. Spillover effects are emotional reactions to an experience that "spill over" into some other experience not associated with the cause of the experienced emotions. For example, driving in traffic might cause stress and anxiety and anger, making it more likely for that driver to argue with his or her partner upon arrival at home. The partner might have done nothing wrong, nothing at all, and yet, fighting and blame ensues.
Exercise is a common cause of spillover effects. Our brains have not yet evolved to realize the difference between running for fun, which we weren't designed to do, and running from or to something of importance. So, we experience a heightened sense of arousal during exercise (get your mind out of the gutter) - our heart races, we sweat, our breaths become shallow and rapid. Our brains interpret those physical responses as the need to fight or flee. Subsequently, we are more likely to argue or become angry either during or shortly after a hard workout. Test this idea for yourself.
Needless to say, on our bike trip, my friend and I spent a great deal of our time fighting, bickering, snapping at each other. We biked hard and our machines were amped up to conquer the beasts, or in this case the hills. Of course, in the moment it is difficult to remember that exercise and exhaustion causes crankiness, so for about 24 hours we hated each other. Thankfully, after a couple of shots of tequila and some karaoke with Elvis (who looked more like Johnny Cash), we were best friends again. We're already planning our next trip... this time, it's her choice.
Thanks Miranda. Thanks Elvis.
