Looking Good So Far

It is early in the day yet, but it is looking good so far to be able to get off in time to go hit the last race in the Sand Creek Series at Bear Creek Park.
The weather today could be a factor in a couple different ways - it is already 80 out and the local weather forecaster is calling for it to hit 95; on the other hand, those high temps greatly increase the likelihood of afternoon thunderstorms which are also a high possibility. So really hot and/or rainy. The hottest part of the day here in C.S. is usually around 3:00pm - 5:00pm, right at race time, so it could be unpleasantly hot... or it could rain and get hot again with wonderfully high humidity... we'll have to see how it turns out.

I've missed being able to race in the series for the first two weeks, so since this is the last shot for the season, I'd really like to at least be able to get on the course this week and get some good laps in. I'm not really concerned where I finish, but I'd like to do well... most of all I need to remember to HAVE FUN!

I did get out for a short road ride last night and felt pretty good while riding. I came into a traffic jam as people were backed up for quite a ways on Tutt Blvd. to get into the Sky Sox game, and then had to wait for the police officer directing traffic to let us through. Then when I was about to go up the hill between Barnes and Stetson Hills, I discovered that there had been an accident of some kind about 2/3 of the way up the hill, so I had to find an alternate route. I was disappointed at that because I was wanting to see how some of the riding I've been doing on the west side has helped how I feel going up and over what we call Tutt Hill. I guess it'll have to wait for another day.

Hopefully I can post again tomorrow about this afternoon/evening's results.

This and That

I ended up being in a meeting last Wednesday night until almost 6:00 pm and did not make it to the Bear Creek Park race. I was kind of disappointed, and yet it was fun to just watch the other folks competing and be able to cheer on all the riders.
I'm planning on trying again this week. It is the last race in the series so I might as well get it on the fun before it is gone.

Saturday I got in some good riding time - first with my wife in the morning up in Palmer Lake. The Greenland Open Space is up there and there is a nice trail with an 8 mile loop that isn't too difficult, although it can certainly feel difficult if one is not in riding condition. We didn't go too fast since and that was fine with me. It was great just to enjoy the beauty of the area and the time with my wife.

I went over to Palmer Park in the evening with some guys that hang out at Ascent Cycling, the local bike shop, and we rode for about 2-1/2 hours, just working through technical spots and catching some air on some small drop downs (the bigger ones still wig me out). It was good just to have a fun ride and not be worrying about how hard I should be training or how far I should be riding, but to just relax and enjoy. That is what it is supposed to be about, right?

The weather today wasn't great and tomorrow isn't supposed to be much better, so we'll have to see if I can get in some riding time somewhere, somehow.

Bear Creek Park

Yesterday at lunch (it was a long lunch) I took a ride at Bear Creek Park on the South side of Colorado Springs. I drove down there with a couple riding buddies and we rode around the trails. It is a relatively small area with about 2.25 miles of trails. I blogged on it yesterday at the Ascent Tribe site. There are bike races being held there for a couple weeks on Wednesday night. I missed last week. I'm going to try to ride it this week and depending on how I feel after riding this week I'll decide if I will ride it again next week, the last week for the race this year.
Meetings and wind preempted todays ride... meaning the meeting I've been in this morning lasted long enough that I wasn't able to get out to ride prior to the winds kicking up to nearly 30 mph.
I get our for even a short ride this evening to stretch my legs and keep them from stiffening up.
Maybe I can get my wife out with me for a little while. ** Crossing my fingers! **

Bright & Early

This morning I got up early and met Clay at the Falcon Trail on the USAFA. Our original intent was to do two laps before Clay had to be at the bike shop.
Ah, the best laid plans... get messed up pretty good when there is an Equine Competitive Trail Ride going on today on the same trail. So we did one lap doing our best to avoid more horse droppings than one could imagine, and decided we'd be best to leave the second lap for another day.
So we got in 13 miles rather than 26, but I really need to be getting more trail miles in!
The Laramie Enduro looms closer and closer and I'm not succeeding at getting in the miles I'd like to in order to feel comfortable and confident that I'll be able to ride the whole race. Ending with a DNF next to my name is not a thought I want to entertain. Total time around the loop was 1 hour 26 minutes, so it wasn't bad, but it wasn't my best time either. I've been fighting my weight and feeling very bloated in the stomach the last couple days and that did not help today.
Hopefully I can get some better rides in soon so I can build up some confidence that I'll be able to give it a serious go at Laramie.

Roady'ing It

A couple times in the past two weeks I've taken my (well soon to be my) road bike out during lunchtime to get some riding in. Ute Valley Park is in the back yard of my work, but I've found that it has too much up and down to get good sustained climbing intervals in.
There are some pretty tough hills over on the Northwest side of Colorado Springs that I've started hitting so that I can work on climbing power and speed. I can make a 16.5 mile loop on the road in about an hour that includes some fairly intense sustained climbs.

The route is Delmonico Drive from the south intersection with Rockrimmon Blvd. north to Carlson Drive, then over to Woodmen Road. West (up) on West Woodmen Road up through the Peregrine area, turning right at the top of the climb onto Blodgett Drive for a bit more climbing, then back down to West Woodmen Rd. and turning south. Somewhere along the way, West Woodmen Rd. turns into Centennial Blvd. which I stay on over to Vindicator Drive. At Vindicator there are two options to provide more pain; turn right on Flying W Ranch Rd. and climb up and over the hill following it down to N. 30th Street; or continue straight on Vindicator to Chuckwagon Road where a right turn goes up to meet Flying W Ranch Road at the top of the hill.( The second option is a shorter, but steeper climb.) After getting to Flying W Ranch Rd, swing left (south) down to N. 30th Street. Left on 30th takes me back to Centennial Blvd, where I go left (north) and back over to Vindicator Dr. where I turn right (east) back to South Rockrimmon Blvd. A right on S. Rockrimmon takes me back to Tech Center Drive where I work, so the trip over.

I road this route yesterday at lunch after riding the Santa Fe trail the previous evening. I felt a little sluggish to start, but not too bad overall. I was wanting to work the kinks out of my legs from the previous evening's ride. After finishing up, I still felt pretty good, so I'm happy that my strength and endurance is improving.

I had wanted to repeat this ride at lunch today, but a rainy morning and threatening clouds have persuaded me to change my plans.

Hopefully tomorrow will provide a better opportunity.

Gearing Up

I’m feeling a little better about my training/conditioning after getting in a 37 mile ride last night and finishing feeling relatively strong still. Granted it was the Santa Fe trail north from Mr. Biggs to Palmer Lake and back, but it is the longest ride I’ve gotten in yet this year. I tried to keep up a steady pace and averaged about 16 mph overall. I kept the gearing on the big chain ring over the entire distance and never hit the top third of the rear cogs.

The next time I make that ride I’ll try to include the Greenland open space to give myself 50 miles and see how that goes. It is far from being as strenuous as the rides a buddy has done up to Rampart reservoir and back from Garden of the Gods, but I’m working that way.

Today is road ride day for me as a recovery ride from yesterday… but the recovery ride will be Woodmen Road up through Peregrine and then up and over Flying W Ranch Road and back.

It will be shorter, but not necessarily sweet.