Thru Endurance We Conquer!

There's having plans that aren't negotiable and then there's going with the flow. Knowing when to pick which option is the important part. Three rides in Salida when the high trails aren't quite clear yet or two rides in Salida and then one in COS with friends? That was an easy choice! We still got some good riding in and got to go to Cam and Amber's summer solstice ride and part. Friday was the CT from Blanks Cabin to Raspberry Gulch. Last time I rode that was September, at night. Things look very different during the day... We weren't sure how busy the camping up the road would be, so took one of the earlier spots that looked pretty quiet. It meant a five mile road climb up to the CT, but since that's part of the day come September - I wasn't going to complain. And wow - no wonder that road climb was so long! It's hard to see the steepness in the dark, but in the brilliant sun of the last days of spring, the elevation changes are clear. And then ...

What do you do when lining up with national and world caliber athletes? In 2011 when I raced the Beti Bike Bash at Bear Creek Lake Park my answer was to be nervous and intimidated by the women surrounding me. I finished almost a lap behind the winners that day - and on that four mile course, that's a huge gap. It was the hardest kind of racing for me - all fitness and power and I was left behind in the dust at the start. Since then, I've embraced the endurance world of mountain biking, seeking out the challenges found in the miles and darkness. Still hard - but a different. And I didn't return to the Beti Bike Bash despite always being asked. Sometimes it's worth taking a chance and seeing what happens. When I heard that the Yeti Betis were moving the race to a new venue in Castle Rock, I was intrigued. Not enough to jump in yet, but enought to investigate. I let the idea percolate, pondering making the drive up there. And then things came together  perfectly to make ...

After the midnight downpour and mud disaster that was Nick's Half Growler, I spent the rest of Saturday almost compulsively checking the weather forecast. Every time I looked there was a chance of rain overnight with more rain possible Sunday morning - but it was a fluid forecast, changing hourly as I checked. As long as the sun stayed out and we didn't get any rain, Sunday would be awesome. That sentiment was echoed around the KOA and most likely across the Gunnison Valley! I'm sure there were more then a few racers doing their anti-rain dances... That sun wasn't quite as warm as it looked... Sunday - cold, but not as cold as anticipated, with sunshine attempting to peek from behind the clouds. And no rain so far. I dressed for racing, not for rain - with fingers crossed that the clouds wouldn't close down again. Wool socks, knee warms, arm warmers, vest and over-gloves - not clothes I would normally be wearing at the end of May! Nick dropped me off at the sta...