Few notes on Boulder

This means bikes take the whole road! can you believe it?!?!

town of Nederland. (far side of lake)
this is a cool little mountain town. rumor has it this is where Tyler lives. cool place but you would have to clmb 3000+ feet to get home from almost any where you road that day! the town is at 8500 feet or so... I stop here almost always on my mountain training rides.

The peak to peak highway. this runs north south in the mountains just weat of boulder. its altitude runs anywhere from 7500 to 9000+ feet. butifull road.

Riding with your mouth tapped shut.

Dead Dog day 2 race report is up!

to wrap up. Good training. I feel that I am coming out of the weekend stronger so that’s good. I also got to see some great places and meet some cool people.

Into Thin Air

When I was a cat 4 I went to a race with a teammate/ friend of mine that was a good 3+ hours away. We got up early, had coffee on the road, made sure we ate enough, did the whole thing. We had a good race and a good time. There is more than just racing. The friends, the adventure, teammates, etc. when we where leaving we were talking to a guy that raced in our race. He drove out there all by him self, raced, and was now driving home. I thought “that’s no fun? he’s crazy!“
This morning I packed up Silver (my car) with all my stuff and drove to Wyoming, alone. Not for just 1 race but for 3 races in 2 days. So am I crazy?... I know that racing in a pro-1-2 field after being here at elevation for only 9 days and racing over a mountain that stretches up to 10,500 feet might seem like I am in fact crazy! Well maybe, but when I saw this race the description, etc, I couldn’t pass it up.
I don’t think I am crazy. I have a friend. Good friend. His name is Tom. He is know in many circles as “Crazy Tom”. People always will ask, “why do you call him crazy tom” the answer is always the same. “because he really is fu#%* crazy” you have to know him for a bit before you see it but when you do its unmistakable. I’m not quit there. Actually if anyone has any EK really is crazy stories send them my way. I’ll check if there appropriate.
check out the race repot!
more coming soon!

First big ride

So I have done a few longer rides with plenty of climbing. But today a tock off early and headed out for the local classic. I headed north to left hand canyon. About 45’ for me.
the climb is long but not to steep. 3% maybe, 14 miles, kicks up in a few places but pretty chill. chill yeah but after an hour of going up it gets to yah.. around mile 8 or 9 I started to get real tired. My HR was climbing faster than I was and the legs were really feeling last nites group ride. That’s another story. Put it this way. Cross winds suck!

Anyway I pulled my self together and started to feel better. After 14 miles of climbing I got to “the climb”. the last 2 miles (for a total of 16 lung busting miles) get steep. 8% maybe? its hard to tell when your at 9000+ feet. Finial I got to the peak to peak highway. A sweet road that runs north/south on the ridge of the mountains from Estes Park to… not sure but south of Denver I think. There are a few mountain towns along the way. Interesting towns. I cruised along the P to P for 15 miles to Nederland and stopped for some drink and the biggest, juiciest, most ridiculous muffin I have ever seen or heard of! It could have feed Guam, or a hungry, un-acclimatized cyclist pretending to be pro. Actually I had to put half off it in my pocket and that half barely fit!
ok so now back down another canyon towards boulder, 17 miles. On the way I lost the magnet for my computer… not really important but I was pissed. Getting back near town I tock a detour off the decent to find some more climbing. I did about 15- 20 more minutes of hard up hill riding and called it good. Time to go home.
I need to get a camera cell phone because the riding and views here are out of this world! You just can’t even imagine.
I am still deciding as to whether I should go to this race in WY. The dead dog stage race the race seems made for me and I hate to pass up an opportunity to race a cool race but it could be ugly. Real ugly?
more to come.

Landed

yes i am here!! nice morning view, ehh!

so some job searching, following up, etc.
finally got out for a ride with some cooperate types, wanted to make sure i wouldn't push myself to hard. and my shifter broke! what! I soon realized that working at a bike shop, knowing where everything is, how to get there and knowing 90% of the people in Mass had its benefits. and those benefits are all gone.
so 3 bike shops later I found someone willing to warranty it for me in under a week. sweet! if I were home i could have done it all in 10 minutes. But I’m not there any more and these are times of change.
also i consider my self a pretty good mechanic. not great but i can handle most anything on a road bike. all well and good when you have a bike stand, all the tools one could ask for, parts up the wazoo and other mechanics to ask opinions or help if you need it. "Bamb! done better than new. actually I’m glad my shifter broke."
yeah, being a good shop mechanic and a bending over kneeling on cements floors, holding the bike with one hand, working 2 other tools with the other while trying to re-cable ones nine speed shifter onto there 10 speed race bike with old frayed cables a leatherman, and cracked shifter housing... very different. not such a "good" mechanic any more!
i did manage to finish the job and went out or a nice chill ride around town. tried to keep it on the flat because any uphill makes me cry for my mother and ride like a cat 6 girl! no offence ladies I love you all. The altitude is a bit more than i thought but really not to bad.
A few notes on boulder:
-I had heard that western folk are easier to make friends with but they don't ever become true friends. Like they'll never help you move. Not true. I have had 2 people ask me so far “you need help with that?” just passers by and a neighbor.
-every one is good looking. Even the people that aren’t good looking are still kinda good looking. Basically for you Boston people, Boulder puts the Harvard and BU campuses to shame! -people stop at yellow lights? This was confusing to me at first but I’ll get the hang of it.
-people in cars yield to cyclist? this is even more strange. I have had several people in the middle of rush hour stop at every inopportune places to let me and others pass? Again this isn't all computing yet but when I have it sorted out I’ll let you know.

Retrospect

The day after I graduated from college I packed up my truck and went to Wisconsin for the summer. I was there to row and a pre elite camp. A sort of feeder for the national team. After that summer I moved to Boston, home of 1 of the 3 rowing clubs in the country that housed an elite lightweight mens rowing team. I was to row with this team for a year, Maybe 2. By then making the nation team and compete at the Olympics and/or world championships where after I would retire from the sport move to CO and fill my days with climbing rocks, ice, mountains and working in my field of Environmental science. Sounds good huh!
My plan was very simple but later to make it happen was…. Not so simple. After 5 years of sweating off weight at 5am, eating rice cakes for dinner, rowing on the ergometer to the point where my blood lactate levels where so hi it would kill a small dog and my feet would go numb, the national team and my goal was still just out of reach.
The other day I was driving down by the Charles river the day before my departure from Boston and the east coast and I thought of how many times I have been back and forth down that damb thing? How much sweat did I pour into that river? Into Boston? As many of you know I moved on from rowing, with no regrets. And quickly begin cycling. And here we are. Some times when you think of how you got to where you are now it really amazes you.
It has amazed me.
I say I have no regrets form leaving rowing but at the same time there remained this… void that I couldn’t seem to fill? It felt like I had let people down, my friends, my parents, all the people that supported me and sacrificed so that I could do what ever I needed to do to reach my goals.
Over the last month as my departure became more of a reality and not just a date, I have had the feeling that I did accomplish my goals in Boston. I have the best friends in the world and I did in some way, in ways that I don’t even know, to people that I wouldn’t have thought of, made a difference in there life. And I think that is the best thing that any one can do on this planet is make a difference. I have had friends, family and more sacrifice so much for me and that is something I am so greatfull for. Aat the time, in the heat of the moment, I didn’t even realize it.
Thank You.
Point is stay true to your self and the people around you. Chances are you mean something so someone, whether you realize it or not.

Lake Aurburn race report up!

also, you know how i was talking about my "best friends in the world..."
http://boston.craigslist.org/act/169746311.html

very funny guys...

Updates:

Ok some road trip tips for yah here. First and update. I am changing my training log to my “Race Reports”. Just to make things a bit more stream lined on the page and my coach isn’t real excited about me having my training up for all to see. I don’t see it as a big deal and I leave out most key details but… still he says so, and I… really can’t keep up with it anyway. I think it will be easier to navigate so check that out.
I have had a lot of questions from my clients and friends. about training for the B2B ride in Boston, the MS 150, and other mega rides around the country… I have a new “training program” for just that. Check them out!

Road trip: drive to CO. stop over in the Midwest for a wedding, a little riding and lots o’ partying! A few tips on road tripping. And I am not giving these tips as the know it all driving guru, but more as I am learning from my mistakes/Discoveries and passing them on to you. *Ohio has very dangerous drivers. Red states??...
*You can’t flirt your way out of a speeding ticket no matter how attracted you think the female motorcycle cop is to you.
*If driving for long duration at once take naps. The implementation of rumble strips these days on the side of roads and before tolls or major turns makes this a very reasonable thing to do. and Pennsylvania is a huge state!!
*Most people on the interstate don’t know what a double pace line is and you will most likely get the finger, along with some crazy flailing hand motions and empty coke cans thrown at you. *If you mix the right amounts of coffee, Red Bull, Coke and a spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy’s , than hang you legs out the window of your car with the cruise control at 85MPH or higher it feels like your flying!
All for now I will relay some more info on the BIGGER states to come.

Suffering in Somerville

Last Days

I am here for my last few days on the east cost. I am back at the secret training local that I mentioned a while back. I figured that it will be a some time before I see the ocean again so I should get my fill. And I am. My buddy and I went to the local diner for lunch. Haddock burgers! The best in the world! While we were there a scruffy fisherman came in sat down at the “liars table”? Not sure what that’s all about… made some chit chat with the waitress, they know each other as everyone does in this town, and then he ordered his lunch.
“I’ll have a buuuga’r” in a deepest downeast Maine drawl you can imagine.
“What kinda buugar you want Harry?”
“ I don’t caaare , just a plan burga’r, a hamburger”
“how do you want it cooked?” she asked”
“ahhh… regular”
Again insert the deep Maine drawl. If you don’t know what this sounds like put 4 marbles in your month and talk that should give you a good reference. He had that look about him. Rough, tough man. Carved out of wood and shaped by the sea. He had that 1000 yard stare that pierced through the diner. What ever he was lookin at I couldn’t see it. I don’t think anyone could. Things are simple here. That’s why I love it. Only here can you ask a man how he met his wife and in 5 minutes your hearing about how the Danish water polo national team was in this bar in Prague and saved my but from a fight right before … it goes on. They like there stories here in Maine so if your ever way Downeast be careful what you inquire about. It might be a few bottles of scotch before the night is done.
Lets back up. Moving. Yes I am out. I have been talking about moving to CO ever since I moved to Boston. Now I finally have the chance to go and… it is scaring the fu&% out of me. I have been here for 8 yrs. Loved, lost, been found, been to heaven and hell and I am kind of attached. Things are also going very well. My job, the cycling team, where I live. I guess its kind of like that Seinfeld episode. “Quit while your ahead” where as soon as George said something funny or did something good he would leave. He didn’t want to blow it. Well… its not quite like that but I have a great opportunity my parents are retired and will be able to visit a lot. Opportunity doesn’t happen. It doesn’t hit you in the head you have to go get it.
I will be back for some big races throughout the summer, to see clients and meet with new ones but home base is defiantly changing. I am excited. Big time.