On the road, on the road

Left Denver yesterday and drove to Lincoln (photo of state capitol above; does this look priapic to anyone else?) where I had mapped out a bike trip on their extensive network of bike trails. It was hot and sunny and I was able to go for 32 good miles through surprisingly rolling landscape. Most of the way was on paved trails, though their signage was basically non-existent and I had only a reduced map I downloaded from the web, so I got off-trail twice. Managed to do the basic route and it was actually fun that I ended up biking through what must be one of the nicer residential areas of Lincoln, past the capital.

Had a blow-out just in the first two miles and used my spare and C02 cartridge, which made me very nervous that it would happen again and I would be stuck. I kept my eyes open and passed right by Polkadot Bicycles. Despite having only $8 with me, the very nice owner, Paul Knoff, sold me a new cartridge and tube for that amount, which was really nice of him and let me relax the rest of the time. He has a nice shop and is a very nice fellow, so if in Lincoln, stop by and say hi (and look at his custom Bob Jackson bikes from England)...

Today I drove from Lincoln to Naperville, IL (just outside Chicago) and was able to get in a 22 miles round. No paved trails, but my hotel is only a mile from a rails-to-trails gravel path, so off I went. Took that to a large natural preserve, with marshes, lakes, fields, etc., and a nice gravel path around. Beautiful ride, despite the cloudy day (actually, more comfortable than the very hot ride yesterday).

So two days into my road trip to Chicago, where I was worried about getting enough chances to ride, I have already put on 50+ miles. I will be staying in the Loop in Chicago starting tomorrow and hope to be able to get a number of rides along the Lake Shore Drive.

Good weekend of biking!

I had a very good weekend on the biking front. The weather (as usual) has been great. Saturday morning I went out with my biking buddy, Kathleen, and rode up Look Out Mountain to Buffalo Bill's grave. This is a hill just outside Golden that is about 5 miles straight up, with an average of over a 6 degree slope. (Photo above is looking down on Golden from top) Fairly short, but a very good workout with great views at the end! Later in the day, Lindsey and I did the usual loop around Cherry Creek reservoir, so I got in about 35 miles yesterday.

Today, I rode from home, down the South Platte bike trail to Chatfield Reservoir, then up Deer Creek Canyon (the ride I did a week or so ago that is about 10 miles straight up). Then back home for a total ride of about 70 miles. Pretty tired, but I handled it pretty well. This is encouraging, as this is something like a typical Ride the Rockies Day (Light). A bit shorter than most of the rides, and they will probably most have more uphill, but not that far off, so the fact I was back home by 12:30 and in good shape was encouraging.

This week I am heading off to an antique show in Chicago and plan to take my bike with me. Looks like I can do a good ride in Lincoln, NE, which is my first stop. Then I should be able to do at least some biking along the lake in Chicago. Have to keep it up! Just over a month to go!

Random thoughts

Not a great photo, but a coyote was out checking out things by Cherry Creek reservoir as I road by this morning. This one was a bit scrawny, but the other day I say a coyote that was really magnificent looking. The deer are out in good numbers now-a-days (in the Cherry Creek park), and the prairie dogs as well, as long as it isn't too early in the morning!

In order to bump up my miles (I am now averaging over 100 miles a week), I am doubling back after I round Cherry Creek reservoir, so my "loop" is not 30-31 miles instead of 25. My weekly rides are keeping up the miles and now I am trying to add some serious hill climbs on the weekends. I feel that about half way through my training, I have built up a pretty good base. As long as I continue I think I'll be fine (I hope!).

As the weather has gotten warmer, there are more bikers out when I go. I do not like to be passed, though if it is someone considerably younger, I try not to let it bother me (the other day someone passed me who was probably in his 40s and that rather peeved me...). I do, however, always try to push my speed up after I am passed to see if I can hang with the person who passed me. Sometimes I don't have a prayer, but other times I do ok. This morning, someone passed me about 6 miles from getting back to hilltop and I managed to up my pace so I stayed with him the rest of the way. I was pretty tired when I pulled off the bike path, but I guess that was good for me.

This got me thinking that though this competitive reaction is probably not the smartest thing I do, on the whole biking has been good for me psychologically as well as physically. Certainly it was back in the 70s when I first got biking seriously in England. I learned to take my time and enjoy the ride, not just putting my head down and plowing on to the end. I tend to be impatient (which is why I don't like hiking), but I learned on my trips around England that if I enjoyed the experience and stopped, from time to time, to "smell the flowers," it was a much better experience.

My first goal in Ride the Rockies is to survive it and complete the course. The second one, though, is to enjoy the experience. Right now I am very focused on the number one goal and I know that I will be anxious once it starts, but I think I'll be able to not just put my head down and bull ahead, for what would the point of that be? One time, in England, I decided I would aim to cover 125 miles in one day and so I just went at it; I finished the distance by 2 in the afternoon and didn't enjoy a bit of it! So, I plan not to do anything like that, but we'll see. (Note that my third goal is not to be the last rider to complete the trip each day!).

Deer Creek Canyon

On Saturday I did a fairly short ride, but it was my first major mountain ride. Southwest of Denver is Deer Creek Canyon and the ride up it is very popular. It is nine miles of pretty much straight up. Parts are fairly moderate in slope, but other parts are a good pull. The organizers of RTR had indicated that you should be able to do a 10 mile uphill at about a 5-6 degree slope. Though not quite 10 miles, I think this was about the type of uphill they were talking about and I managed it in good shape. Still smiling at the top!

Dillon loop & spring

Spring is really here: today was beautiful (as usual) going around the Cherry Creek reservoir, with lots of birds (including a stalking great blue heron), deer, prairie dogs, flowering trees and almost all trees ready for their leaves. Now having done the "standard loop" a bunch of times, my fitness level is clearly getting there.

Which was proved this weekend when I did the "Dillon loop" once each day. Last fall, the one time I did the loop I thought I was going to die going up and over Swan Mountain Road. It is a good climb of two miles and a bit more than half-way up I thought I just couldn't get enough air in my lungs. This was my real fear about doing Ride the Rockies. I figured that this was a steep hill, but if I couldn't even make it up that without problems, how was I going to do 5 mountain passes!

Well, both Lindsey and I made it up (pix above from the top) in good shape. I realize my problem last year was that I went at it too fast/hard and just ran out of breath. It is tough enough that once I did that, I couldn't get my breath back. This time I just took it steady and though it wasn't easy, I made it fine to the top without stopping nor without having problems breathing. Lindsey and I did the loop on Saturday and then I did it again on Sunday at a faster clip and both were fine. So that is a big monkey off my back!

A good week & the mountains loom

Despite some inclement weather (mostly it has been in the 60s & 70s and very sunny), I have had a good week of biking. The "goal" this week is to have done 80 miles and I have already done 115 with 25 more for tomorrow morning.

I was able to go off on a long but fun ride on Saturday of 65 miles, almost all on bike paths. Rode down Cherry Creek trail to Confluence Park, then 8 miles down the South Platte to Bear Creek. Turned west up Bear Creek, riding right up into the foothills and across to Golden, from whence I turned back east along Clear Creek trail until it flowed into the Platte north of Denver. South down the trail to Confluence and then back home. I managed this in 5 hours and though tired at the end, I really enjoyed it. The next day, Lindsey & I did the standard 25 miles loop around Cherry Creek reservoir, which I did again yesterday afternoon.

I have felt pretty good on these rides and on yesterday's loop I went pretty much as fast as I thought I could maintain, making the trip in about 1 hour and 35 mins. So I am feeling good about building up the muscles (and seat!), but now I have to start looking to the mountains...

Which comes this Saturday. We are heading up to Dillon where I plan to do the 17 mile loop around the Dillon reservoir, which includes a steep, 2 mile ride up on Swan Mtn. Road. Last year I did it once and had to stop twice. It wasn't the muscles, but my wind. I just couldn't breath. I have been doing a fair bit of hills, but not at that altitude (Dillon is about 9,100').

So, I am a bit apprehensive to see how I do on Saturday. I plan not to be as cocky this time (last year, I went charging up it, assuming it wouldn't be a problem). This will be a good test to see how much work I still need as all the rides for Ride the Rockies are between about 7,000 and 12,000. We'll see....