Windy weekend

-
The wind does not seem to want to go away. Nick and I were planning on heading to Pueblo Saturday and spending the weekend at the park, but not with this kind of wind. (I was blown across the road in my Subaru driving to Pueblo on Friday) So we stayed home and did trail recon around town. And thanks to the wind, it seems that almost everything is dry and ridable!

Saturday we headed to CMSP. Nick got his ride and I ran. Still not feeling fast on the trails yet. I know the speed is there, but having problems finding it on the trail. I think I will move all my running workouts onto the trails around town to help with the process. But it was still a good run. I really like CMSP - there is a good mix of trails from rolling and smooth to hilly and techical. It is also pretty out of the wind so we weren't getting sand blasted the whole afternoon.

Sunday was brick workout. I spent three hours chasing Nick and Dave all over Stratton, Red Rocks and those trails. Very happy with the ride - I was able to make it through some trail sections that I haven't made before. I was also able to at least keep up with the boys for part of the day. I did manage to ride a rock garden they both walked through! Nick was all ready to ride it, got to the edge and paused. Kiss of death - he was worried about his new carbon bike. Dave's comment was that he was worried about his cranium! I've only ridden this part once, and it was dark - so I figured, what the heck and plinko chiped my way down. I was supposed to finish the day with a strong trail run, but since Nick and I had ridden from the house, I ended up just running on the roads. Good transition time, a little stiff coming off the bike. Nothing to worry about right now.

After all that, we headed to Dave's house to watch the Tour of Flanders. That was a great race. The bike change that FC pulled off was a thing of beauty and the way he rode right through the peloton to the front and kept going... Man.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A long way on foot - Sheep Mountain Endurance Run

-
Image
Fifty miles is a long way - regardless of how you travel. As I was training and preparing for Sheep Mountain Endurance Run, I knew that it would be a long day - I knew that there would be ups and downs, that the plan would have to be fluid and goals adjusted mid-race. That is the nature of endurance sports and the people who achieve are the ones who can go with the flow and find the ability to turn things around if they do go south. Obviously, for my first 50, I was hoping for nothing but smooth sailing - with no dark spots, no demons and smiling the whole way. A girl can always hope, right? Runners assembled for the start Photo - Human Potential Running The sun was just starting to brighten the clouds as we walked to the starting line with nearly 100 other runners. The race director went through a few things, noting that there had already been some DNS's due to the elevation and to be smart. Smart... Most people would say smart would mean not doing something like a 50 mile ...
the full story...

Mortality

-
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well preserved body; but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'Wow! What a ride!'” - Hunter S. Thompson It seems such a trite quote, but true at the same time. Life is about the journey - the adventures along the way, the failures and successes. A life well lived is a person with stories to tell, taking the chances along the way that will provide fulfillment. You don't realize how close we are teatering to the edge until something happens that affirms our mortality.  In eleven years of practicing physical therapy in a nursing home setting, I've had my share of experiences with death. Never close though - far enough removed to be touched by the passing but not affected. Sometimes it's expected and everyone says "it's for the best. They are happier now." Other times, it's not and we are all shocked...
the full story...

Regaining my mojo

-
Image
I'll be honest. The two months between the middle of July and middle of September just about crushed me. Tired all the time, unable to muster more then a slug pace for most rides, and shuffling my way through my runs. It was the worst two month I've had - made worse by my continuing to try to push through the fatigue. So after Vapor I made sure that I would listen to my body and not pressure myself into training until I felt ready. No matter how long it would take, I would take the recovery I needed. Two weeks of minimal activity - short swims that were mostly just paddling around, very short runs where I didn't look at my watch at all and the easiest of rides imaginable. After those two weeks, I was still tired, but feeling better. Getting more like myself again, with a little more energy. That meant I needed at least another week of easy recovery! It was not the time to succumb to FOMO and start up with the big rides and hard runs again. So I behaved even more, knowing ev...
the full story...

Friends with the Monsters..

-
And the voices inside of my head.  As Saturday approaches, the voices - the demons - have begun talking to me. Sometimes a whisper, sometimes a scream. 54 miles. It's the distance from Colorado Springs to Lake Pueblo State Park. Or the top of Wilkerson Pass... A long bloody way to cover on two wheels, let along two feet! Yet that is my goal. Traverse the trails and roads west and east of Fairplay, covering more then the distance of two marathons. Theoretically, it should be nothing. After all, I've run back to back marathons many times - once getting both under 3:10. Fifty two miles, in just shy of 24 hours at a pace much faster then I'm planning. But in this ventures, I had time to recover between races and took the recovery seriously. Here, nothing but continuous forward movement. One step in front of the other, no breaks between efforts and the the clock doesn't stop ticking.  As Saturday approaches, those voices are getting louder. Ever doubting, ever questioning - ...
the full story...