I'm not sure if it's the fact that I'm getting older - or less naive - but I'm slowly realizing that working and racing my bike take some serious energy. And that falling asleep in my chair at work (and sometimes wishing I could take a 20 second nap while training) isn't normal.
After the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge, I raced in Winter Park the following Saturday. This gave me only 4 days to try and recover from that brutal effort we all put in the previous Monday. Although the race went pretty good, I had a big realization when it came time to dig deep, suffer, and try and stay with the two leaders. I pretty much said to myself, 'Oh man, not sure if I want to race these guys!'. Well, that's no good. Especially when it's your job as a pro to race. I did hold on to finish 3rd - and 3rd to two extremely talented gentlemen I might add. Upon finishing the race I realized I needed to not only take a break from the bike, but just get out of Dodge completely for a few days. Recharging was the only item on the to-do list.
An opportunity to visit Rachel in Seattle came up and I jumped at the thought of getting up there and to take in the Northwest. I've only spent a little time in Seattle, also known as the Emerald City. Think of the rich green forests. (thanks Wikipedia)
I did bring my road bike since I knew I had a day to explore - AND I was going to have a 'guide' who had some plans to cruise on the Burke-Gilman trail and head out to the beach. With this free week before the Breckenridge 100, (I'll get to that in a second) I was free to enjoy good food, relaxation and a casual schedule. I pretty much took advantage of this and enjoyed every minute of it.
I really owe a huge thanks to Rachel for being an incredible host and making this all happen. I was sent back to Colorado ready and recharged. (and not without the added bonus day after my return flight was cancelled...) I can only try and repay the favor.
One word can describe the Breckenridge 100. Ouch.
Around 14,000 feet of elevation gain over 100 miles, the B100 is a race that pretty much humbles anyone who tries it. Coming off a week at sea level, I found myself out of breath just walking up the stairs to our hotel room. Did that make me a little nervous? Yes, yes it did. However, when we rolled out of town at 6AM and up Wheeler Pass to start the first of three different loops, I felt incredible. I had the mental strength to push it and the legs (and most of my lungs) to push the pace.
Looking around at my fellow competitors in the group, I knew I was in for a tough day. Josh Tostado and Jeff Schalk are the real deals when it comes to 100 milers. I hung on for 50 miles and was feeling incredible, but at that halfway mark I started feeling the lack of endurance in my legs. I don't usually race this distance this time of year - and this was a slap in the face (er, punch in the nose) to remind me that you can't just show up without that type of fitness in the legs.
All in all, I had a good day and a lot of fun. Schalk took the win while Josh finished 2nd in a great battle. Two class-acts who both deserve to win.
As a cap to the crazy weekend, we're shooting a new top-secret project which has been a ton of fun. I even got to jump off a ledge into the Arkansas river...
1 comment:
Never a dull moment! Congrats. See you soon.
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