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!