Bike and Hike

I had a little surprise outside next to my porch yesterday, well actually it was rather long. Not sure what he was for sure but I really didn't want to find out the hard way.
Today was a great day and I decided to make the most of it before the roads and trails get packed this Labor Day Weekend.

Started out with a little spin then headed over to Eldorado Springs and did the Eldorado Canyon Trail.

I took a side trip up to Ricon Wall and scampered over a sea of small boulders.

At the end of a nice long hike there is nothing like soaking your feet in the cold creek before heading home.

Tomorrow its back to the bike for a long day, that is if my legs don't hate me for making them hike today.

Catch Up

Well I've been here then there and back again since the last time I updated. Yeah I know, sorry for the slack but its the normal end of the season lull.

I flew out Friday afternoon to Austin where Sheila picked me up and we headed to Houston on Sat for a wedding, then back to Austin Sunday and on back up here that evening. A pretty quick and busy trip but at least I got to see and hang out with Sheila and some of her friends that I haven't seen in a long time.

This week so far has just been a couple of long rides and tomorrow is going to be the start of some cross training time with a long hike. Then some dog sitting on Sat and a couple of more long rides going into next week. I am starting to get some of the motivation back, but some kind of knowledge of what next season will bring would give a lot more peace of mind.

Mud

The last two days have been some great days here in CO full of long rides up into the mtns. Just the usually routes, up into Ward and all around peak to peak.

Today I decided to take a easy short day but not really thinking about the down pour of rain last night I tried making it up the Koppenberg but the mud stopped me in more ways than one.
I fly out to Austin this afternoon for a relaxing weekend way. A change of venue is always nice and it will be good to see Sheila again.

Today - Sunday

You can just scroll down and look at the last post, cause it covers what happened today. Just another long ride, except Ross came along this time, and it was windy.

I am starting to look forward to cross more and more, I am someone who takes on a task full force and plan on doing the same with cross season. If you are going to do something you might as well do it right and do it at your best. All I have to do now is get a cross bike, small problem.

Another Long Day

With not a cloud in the sky today I was able to get the long ride that was prescribed for yesterday in today.

Gotta start with some dirt. Hit the Koppenberg on the way into Boulder.
Up to Lyons and onto the Old St. Vrain road.

Up St. Vrain

Then to Peak to Peak

Over to Ward and down to the back side of Lee hill then the Koppenberg and home. It was a nice day, kind of hot down here but very cool up in the mtns. Its just a sign that the days remaining in summer are few. Over all six hours in the saddle and another good long ride in.

I've been having some problem with my feet throwing off my knees and causing some pain, so today I finally got a hold of the guy behind Podium Footwear. He's got some pretty famous clients (most notably a Mr. Armstrong) we I guess we will see what he can do for me, but not until the 27th. So I guess I have to just suck it up until then

Dark Clouds

Today was supposed to be another long 7 hr ride. But with a view like this over the mtns. I decided to do a shorter ride today and save the long day for tomorrow.

Packages From Home

Gotta love getting the good stuff from home.

A Sunday

For us, when coach says do an endurance ride today, we probably take it a little too far.

Seth, Joey, and I headed out at 7am for a trek to Vail, starting just a few miles outside of Denver.
First on the table was getting up High Drive, just a short but very steep ride into the Evergreen area. Then halfway up Evans to Squaw Pass and down into Idaho Spring.

On the way up Squaw.

Seth on the trek up Squaw.

Almost to the top, of just the first of many.

After a refill of the water bottles in Idaho Springs we headed toward the next challenge, Loveland Pass.

Top of Loveland Pass.

After peaking out at Loveland the drop down the other side puts you into Keystone and Dillon. This is where we took on more liquids plus a little lunch. This was Seth's fuel.

After getting some sugar back in us we headed over Swan Mountain to Copper Mtn. where the clouds began to taunt us.

They weren't bluffing. Hail and rain poured down for about 15 minutes making it rather cold.

From here we could smell the finish of our ride. From Copper we took off over Vail pass and down to the finish line of Vail.

A big thanks to the girls for coming to pick us up. They had to drive 2 hours out to get us and 3hrs (thanks to traffic) to take us back.

So to sum up today. 120 miles, 7hrs, 5 sustained climbs, 3 summit passes, Denver to Vail. Can't wait to do it again.

Links

Check this link out.

Then check this link out.

Not much planned today. Short ride, then the dentist again. Its a long story, that you don't want to hear.

Tomorrow is a long haul from Joey's house to Vail, aprox 7hrs. Should be a fun one.

Gold Hill

Today was a fun/hard ride up to Gold Hill. Let me narate my day with pictures.

First its up Four Mile
All the way to the dirt. This is where today I had my first pet peeve. A guy driving down drinking a red bull threw out the empty can after he passed me. I heard it hit the pavement or I wouldn't have known, but how much of an ass do you have to be to throw out an empty can in such a beautiful back road.

Follow the dirt way back into the woods.

And you find a small town hidden away on top of the mountain.

Its what makes riding extra enjoyable.

Bad Weekend

Well this weekend didn't end up the way I had hoped for. I woke up to the alarm yesterday to head to the Springs for a RR, but a killer headache kept me in bed. That should have been the end of it but by noon it was a migraine and become completely unbearable by late afternoon that I was at the ER. I got pumped full of fluids and a bunch of drugs. An hour and a half later the pain subsided enough I could go home where I fell asleep at 7 and slept for 13hrs. Today was better, still a slight headache and the orders of taking it easy again sidelines me from a crit. I guess my season is in the books for this year.

Not sure what is going to happen, the next month should reveal some big changes for me, both in cycling and in life.

Friday

This week has been uneventful. Sending out some resumes for next year seeing if any teams will give me a shot. Just have to wait to see, I hate waiting.

There is a short RR in the Springs this weekend but I am not sure if I am going to head down and do that or stay up here and do an even shorter circuit race. Then there is Bannock on Sunday, probably won't do this unless they have fixed the road. Not fun to have a block of potted road and a manhole cover sunk six inches in the pavement right on a corner.