Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Cranking up the Intensity

Got up nice and early this morning for a good 12 ½ mile run. It wasn’t quite as early as in San Diego, (5 instead of 4) so that was nice. It was cold though. I estimated it to be in the mid teens. My water bottle was frozen after an hour. The trails were pretty clear of snow so the footing was good. Started out with a 2 1/2 mile warm-up then 6 miles at tempo in 45:51. Finished up with an easy four miles that was starting to feel kind of tough toward the end. Most people don’t know this, but this is an excellent way to start the morning. Much better than coffee!

Although it was an excellent workout this morning, I felt it the rest of the day. I was pretty stiff at work, and had to get up and walk around several time to work the kinks out. The stiffness wasn’t gone when we started our Tuesday night ProCycling climb until you puke ride. I was in trouble right from the beginning. Even as we approached the first climb I was having trouble hanging on. Like last week, I was dropped like I wasn’t even there. This time it was by guys I have out climbed in the past. Ouch. I started feeling better at the steepest part of the climb and my legs sort of woke up after that. The second and steepest climb I was able to at least hang on, dangling at the back while everyone else was attacking and counter attacking each other. And to think I almost turned around and went home after the first climb.

Run: 1.7 hrs, 12.5 miles/w 6 mile tempo in 45:51
Bike: 1.5 hrs, 20.6 miles

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Time to Get Vertical


An epic day in the saddle! Got the gang together and we proceeded to get some serious vertical today. Awesome! We have a road ride which can take on several variations we call "Tour de Hills". It’s a very cool ride because there is almost no traffic, never leaves town, and comprises serious climbing. Today, 70 miles and 8,180 feet. The weather was perfect and our group a blast, and just another day in paradise!


The Tribe Gathers

Kara Climbing to the Zoo

Dan & the "Gouge Man" Climbing Cheyenne Canyon

Climbing Gold Camp

Bike 6.0 hrs, 70 miles, 8,180’ climing
Week Total:
Run:
7.4 hrs, 46.1 miles
Bike: 12.6 hrs, 151 miles

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Running in Winter Paradise

CRUD Stampede Headin for the Trailhead

Another incredible day training for Leadman. It seems like I use that word a lot, maybe I should find another one. On the other hand, I can’t help it. It is just so awesome to be privileged, blessed, whatever you want to call it to be able to train for something like this. At 51 years old I’m still going out and doing the same things I loved to do in High School; running and riding my bike! And as I’ve said before, Colorado Springs is an absolutely perfect place to train. There is no shortage of studs in Colorado Springs either. Tuesday I’m riding with Norm Alvis and Matt Simmons and at the CRUD runs, guys like Paul DeWitt (no relation), Anton Krupicka, & Rick Hessek are regulars. Paul is former Leadville 100 Trail Run course record holder, Anton 2 time winner of the same race, and Rick finishes in the top 5 of every race he enters. Not to mention Paul and Anton have numerous course records all over the country. And these guys don’t mind running/riding with regular old guys like me!

The Saturday CRUD run started in Manitou Springs with a seven mile climb to the Palmer Trail Head.
Regrouping about half way up the Initial Climb
Once on Palmer Trail we broke trail through fresh snow, which was quite a bit of work, but just adds to the adventure! Palmer Trail was primarily descending until we came to the Section 16 Trail Head, then we started climbing again. My legs did not want to cooperate after running downhill for 30 minutes or so. I pushed through it and after a while they started coming back. We ran the rolling Intemann Trail back to Manitou for a total 18.6 miles. We hit altitudes of 8700 feet with an average altitude of 7500 feet. Just under 3,000 feet of climbing. I love going out an playing in the mountains! Re-grouping before Heading Down Palmer Trail

Run: 3.3 hrs, 18.6 miles
More Pics at: http://picasaweb.google.com/larry.dewitt/CRUDRunPalmerIntemannTrailMarch09?feat=email#

More Pics from Steve Bremner:

http://picasaweb.google.com/swbremner/20090328CrystalParkCRUDRun?feat=email#

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Winter Ain't Over Yet!

Temps were in the mid 80s when I left San Diego last week. Contrast that to mid teens in blizzard conditions today. The Leadman is an extreme event and therefore requires extreme preparation. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. Today’s workouts were pretty rough considering I haven’t seen winter this year.

In the morning, a 3.2 hour MTB ride with two tempo efforts, the first 30 min, the second 50 min. Temps were in the mid 20s so I was pretty frozen when finished. Especially hands and feet. In the afternoon the weather turned for the worse and we were hit with a full-on blizzard. The wind was blowing so hard it was snowing sideways. The interstate closed down, as well as half the city.

I assumed no one would show for the CRUD Thursday evening run, (what was I thinking, this is Team CRUD) so I went out on my own. (Turns out two brave souls did turn out for the CRUD run).

My wife wouldn’t let me take Max because she thought the weather was too extreme. She knew better to talk me out of it, although she made an obligatory attempt, and I proceeded with a speech about the Leadman is an extreme event and therefore requires extreme preparation and she let it go. I think she mentioned something about the Leadman requires extreme morons or something as I headed out the door.

After 3+ hours in the cold this morning, I wasn’t too excited about going out again. But the Leadman is an extreme… I repeated several times. The wind was ridicules and the snow stung. Luckily the first half of the run was against the wind so it was at my back the second half. At one point the wind was blowing so hard I was running in place. I started laughing out loud. After that I started to question my sanity too! I have to admit I was enjoying it. The trail was a mix of snow drifts and bare ice due to the wind. Exactly what Yaktrax is made for. I don’t know who invented those things, but they work great. They are like tire chains for shoes.

Yaktrax

When I turned around I was surprised to see my tracks were all ready covered. The longer into the run the deeper the snow was getting, and many times I had to walk. I didn’t like walking because the sweat would start freezing, so I forced myself to run through the drifts.


In retrospect, this was excellent training for Leadman. In any of the five races there is a very good possibility of snow, rain, hail, heat or all four within the same race. This is almost a guarantee during the 100 mile run. The run starts at 4:30 am in temps right around freezing, may get very warm in the day, with afternoon/evening thunderstorms all but guaranteed. These thunderstorms are hail storms on the passes. At night it can get very cold, even down to freezing. Combine that with possible rain, snow or hail and today was just a small taste of what Leadville could be. The Leadman is an extreme event and therefore requires extreme preparation.

Thurs:
Run: 1.7 hrs, 10.5 miles
Bike: 3.2 hrs, 30 min & 50 min tempo, 45 miles

Wed:
Run:
45 min, 5 miles easy
Bike: Technical MTB , 2.1 hrs, 16 miles

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Ouch!

Today was a good run/bike day but I got severely spanked on the bike. Started the morning with a 12 mile run in which I ran 5 miles at tempo. I ran the first two miles easy to warm up then 5 miles in 37:58, and 5 miles at an aerobic pace to finish. Felt pretty good throughout the run.

The ProCycling Team ride was a different story. The weather was turning cold and it looked and felt like it was getting ready to snow. Only two others showed up; Matt Simmons (Pro Mountain Biker) and Norm Alvis (Former Pro Road Racer, former Pro National Champion, former US hour record holder). Ouch! Needless to say as Matt and Norm were cruising and talking this old guy was just trying to hang on. When we hit the first climb they dropped me like I wasn’t even there. We regrouped at the top and headed for the second climb. Norm went home and Matt took it easy on me. He waited about 150 meters or so before he dropped me. I almost kept him in sight to the top, but not quite. This was one of those rides when your going so hard you want to puke but still can’t keep up. Ouch again. Welcome Home!

Run: 1.6 hrs, 12 miles
Bike: 1.3 hrs, 20 miles, 2000’ climbing

See Matt's Blog for more: http://twowheeledworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/7th-wonder.html

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Riding with an Long Time Friend

An absolute fantastic ride today! Today, was 4 ½ hours of technical mountain biking in Ute and Palmer Parks with my good friend, Sharon Larson. Sharon is a former pro mountain biker and really fun to ride with. Sharon & I have been riding together for almost as long as I’ve been riding mountain bikes. We have had many adventures together, including a race across Costa Rica, Leadville 100 both bike & run, 24 hours of Moab, 24 hours of Old Pueblo, Tour de Gila, serveral epic rides in Moab, and the list goes on. She is one of the better technical riders I know, and today everything just seemed to flow. An incredibly fun ride on some trails I haven’t ridden in quite a while. Some how I felt really good today, despite the long run yesterday. I would have like to stretched it out another couple hours but still have those 3 months worth of chores to catch up on.

Bike: 4.5 hrs, 42 miles, 3000’ climbing

Week Total:
Bike: 12.9 hrs, 130 miles
Run: 5.6 hrs, 30.6 miles

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Getting into the Long Runs

Now that I’m home and hopefully going back to a civilized work schedule, its time to start focusing on a real training schedule to get ready for Leadman. Up to this point all I’ve been doing is a lot of running and riding with no real plan or purpose other than having fun. Maybe that’s the way training should be, who knows? I need to focus more on running though. I believe that's my weak area, and running 100 miles in the Rocky Mountains is no picnic. The mountain bike races, I know I can finish. It’s the run that has me worried. Time to get serious!

Today Max and I ran a hilly 19 miles. Average elevation > 7,000 feet with total climb, 3,980'. We started off with a steep climb that had me walking right off the bat. I felt terrible the first few climbs and had to walk much of them. This was the case for pretty much all the climbs up Ute Trail. That trail amazes me because it seems it is uphill no matter which direction you run it. After about an hour, somewhere in Waldo Canyon, I started feeling better, and just continued to feel better the rest of the run. Ran a loop around Wald Canyon, then up Longs Ranch. Longs Ranch is very steep in places and I had to walk those sections. Ran about 1 ½ miles up Longs Ranch and realized I needed to get home as I have three months worth of chores to catch up on, so I turned around (really!). Of course anyone that knows Longs Ranch knows it gets REALLY steep at about 1 ½ miles. But really it was the chores. Finished feeling very strong in Manitou via Ute Trail.

Run: 4 hrs, 19 miles

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Adventure Continues… On to Moab

Yesterday was my last day in San Diego. Before I headed home I went out for a good hard 11 ½ mile run and felt great! Last run at sea level, so it’ll be the last time I’ll be able to run that hard for a while. Time to go back to the mountains and high altitude running & riding.

Yesterday, my boss in Colorado Springs said “Why don’t you stop in Moab on your way back and take a day to ride some of the awesome trails there”, or something like that. Man what a great idea! What a great boss! So I called the real boss and she thought it was a great idea, so Moab here I be!

Got to Moab just before midnight after a 13 ½ drive. The last two hours of the drive was “Mandatory Metallica” on Sirius Radio. Very Cool!

So got started around 10 AM riding one of my favorite trails in the world. Porcupine Rim is about a 30 mile loop that starts with a long 12 mile climb from town to the trailhead then a 2 – 3 mile technical climb to the top. Then a rough and technical 15 or so mile rolling descent to the bottom. The last 3 miles or so is a single track that is very technical in sections and very exposed to a long drop off.
Riding Sand Flats Road to the Trail Head
Riding up Sand Flats road I was passed by several shuttle buses full of mountain bikers that didn’t want to bother with the work of riding up. I think one should earn their down hill, but that's just me. I took my time climbing Sand Flats and stopped quite a bit to take pictures. My legs were still a little tired from the run yesterday, and once I hit the technical stuff there would be plenty of grunting to get up over the rocks.

2 - 3 Miles of Technical Climbing

At the Top!

At the top were a ton of people that had been shuttled up (there is another trail that they come in where they don’t have to climb), so I took a few pictures and headed down so I wouldn’t get held up. About 10 minutes into it I broke my chain. Even in the 10 min or so it took me to fix my chain, only two people came by.

Coming down Porcupine Rim is more fun than is legal in a lot of places. My Yeti 575 was made for trails like this. I felt like I was ripping it. At the single track I rode a little bit more careful cause I was alone and mistakes here can be deadly. Once at the bottom, thanked the Lord that both me and my bike made it in one piece, then rode back to town, finishing (counting the broke chain) in just over 4 hours.

Don't want to make mistakes here!

After the ride I attempted to go running. The plan was to run Cane Creek Road to the top of Hurrah Pass and back. I guess that would be 12 miles or so. After 5 minutes I bagged it. The legs just weren’t cooperating. I decided to listen to my body and go eat. It’s better to save it and have something for the CRUD run Saturday. Tomorrow back to Colorado Springs!

Friday: Run: 1.6 hrs, 11.6 miles
Saturday: Bike: 4.2 hrs, 32 miles





Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Last Ride in San Diego

The Lunch Time Urban Assault Crew

Today was the last ride with the Urban Assault Crew. What a great bunch guys to ride with. I can’t believe the time here in California has come to an end. It seems like it just flew by. My son described Iraq as “The days are long but the weeks go by fast” and that’s how it was here. 4 AM runs, 10 – 14 hour workdays, lunch time rides, quick workouts at the gym and do it all over the next day. There were so many great people I met here both at work and play. Thanks to Jim, Dave, Rob, George, Dominic, Rudy, Darryll, Kenny, Donald (I know I’m missing a few) from the Urban Assault Crew. Your hosipitality was awsome and your rides are a blast. Then there was Ron Brogdon & Odale Baker from Sand Diego Major Taylor Cycling Club. I wished I could have rode some more with you, but time just snuck up on me. Any of you guys ever come to Colorado, I’d be proud to show you around.

Our ride today was rolling hills and fairly hard. Rolling hills for me are tougher then long steady ones. When we finished, I decided to go to the coast one more time. So I rode to the coast and through Torrey Pines State Park and back on a beautiful day in the 70s. A great way to end my stay! Thanks again guys.

Torrey Pines Overlooking the Pacific

Tomorrow morning I head for home via Moab. I guess while I’m there I ought to do one of my favorite loops in the whole world. Porcupine Rim!

Bike: 4.3 hrs, 57 miles, 3920’

Sunday, March 15, 2009

I Get to Ride My Bike All Day!

Peñasquitos Canyon

This morning I got up and realized that I get ride my bike all day! No work, no chores, no errands, no blogs to update… well ok 3 out of 4. Today was a 5+ hour mountain bike ride in Peñasquitos & Lopez Canyons. I went pretty easy all day, just exploring new trails and climbing and descending whatever came my way. The legs were still feeling yesterday's run so I wasn't flying up the climbs. Yesterday I ran many of these same trails and today explored more of them on the bike. Friday, Saturday and today were just easy endurance rides/run. Saturday, ran in these same canyons intending on running about 13 – 14 miles. I got caught up in exploring new trails and ended up running 18.5. Friday was a great relaxed road ride of 2.4 hours out to the coast. Training is going well, despite the travel and long working hours!


Ridin Down the Canyon! Waaaaahoo!

Friday, Bike: 2.4 hrs, 36 miles, 2421’
Saturday, Run: 2.8 hrs, 18.4 miles
Sunday, Bike (MTB): 5.1 hrs, 42.5 miles, 3219’
Week Summary:
Bike: 10.3 hrs, 119 miles
Run: 6.4 hrs, 42.5 miles


Good Climb Day (Thursday)

Today, I think I was still feeling the benefits of altitude at our lunch time Urban Assault ride. Maybe another reason I felt so strong was I didn’t run in the morning. We rode the Highland Valley climb (the same Tour of California climb we watched) and I felt like I couldn’t ride hard enough, or the climb couldn’t get steep enough. The legs just went. The rest of the ride went like that with every climb. I got to be king of the mountains today. Woohoo!

Black Mountain is a pretty significant landmark in the Rancho Bernardo area. It seems no matter which direction you approach Rancho Bernardo, Black Mountain and it’s microwave towers can be seen for miles. I’ve wanted to either ride or run to the top since I’ve been here. So this evening, after work, I ran to the top. It was kind of a disappointment. It wasn’t near as hard as I thought it would be, even after such a high intensity lunch ride. Rather than run the service road up, I ran a trail that was much steeper. Many parts of the trail were too steep to run, so it was more like hiking. I was just getting warmed up when I reached the top. I ran the service road down, then some surrounding hilly trails until it was too dark to see. Good climbing day today

Bike: 1.3 hours, 22 miles, 1,319' climbing
Run: 1.4 hours, 7.5 miles, 1,401' climbing


Black Mountain
At the Top
View from the Top



Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Back to Pounding the Pavement

Back in San Diego with long work hours, 4 am runs and urban assault bike rides. It was good to get back to Colorado and run & ride in the mountains again. It makes training seem more like play than training. When I got up Tues morning at 4 and headed out the hotel at 4:15, I noticed the hotel clock had not been moved up for Daylight Savings, it read 3:15...Och!

Ralph and I stopped by for the lunch time ride but the guys had left early so we rode a route Ralph found last week. It was a nice course on some semi quite streets with steep climbs. Lot's of fun, until some guy drove up and told us we were trespassing on private roads. Private roads? It was a good ride and I really felt the oxygen.

This morning was an easy 5 mile recovery run. Worked straight through the day so wasn't able to ride. Went to the gym and worked on core in the evening.

Wed:
Run: 43:49, 5 miles
Strength: 35 min, primarily core

Tues:
Bike: 1.5 hours, 18 miles
Run: 1.5 hours, 11.6 miles

Sunday, March 8, 2009

A Tourist in My Own Town

Being away so long gave me a whole new perspective on home. I was beginning to take the awesome trails, mountains, and scenery right out my front door for granted. Today I rode what I call my standard loop. It’s about a five-hour ride that I do pretty regularly. I never really appreciated what an incredible ride this is until today. Great single track, scenery, climbs, descents, clean air, and it’s just out my door. I have access to hundreds of miles of incredible trails without having to drive to them. All the tools for Leadman training are right here, a mountain biker/trail runner’s paradise!

Playing in Ute Park

Today was a fairly casual mountain bike ride by myself, as I didn’t want to push to keep up with anyone. Started out with an hour or so of semi-technical riding in Ute Park, then Monument Trail to Bear Creek. Cut through Stratton Open Space and up the Chutes to Cheyenne Canyon. Down and up Columbine Trail to Gold Camp and Cap’n Jacks. Cap’n Jacks is a great single track descent. I always forget how fun this trail is until I do it again! Down the Chutes (another fun downhill) and back home the same way I came. Just another day in Paradise!
Another Day in Paridise;Cheyenne Canyon
Sun:
Bike: 5.2 hours, 45 miles, 4219’ climbing
Week Total:
Bike:
13.7 hours, 136.5 miles
Run: 8 hours, 44 miles

Saturday, March 7, 2009

New Trails & The Incline

Heading up Williams Canyon
Today was another great run with CRUD, although like last week, there was enough steep climbing to classify our little adventure as a run/hike. We started in Manitou and ran up Williams Canyon to Cave of the Winds and proceeded up a steep trail that most of us didn’t know about. It took us to the top of Williams Canyon with some incredible views. Definitely going to have go back up there with Roswitha!
A New Trail!

Max Enjoying the View Over Williams Canyon

Steve explaining the Geological Features to Max

Eventually we came to Waldo Canyon and our group split. JT and I ran a loop around Waldo Canyon then back to Manitou via Ute Indian Trail.

Once back to Manitou, Max and I decided to climb the Incline. (Although Max really didn’t have a whole lot of say in the matter). I just had to do it while I was here. The Incline is probably one of the best training tools for the Leadville 100 other than the Leadville 100 course itself. It is the remains of an old cog railroad. From top to bottom the incline is 1.02 miles long and rises 2011 ft. Avg grade is 41% with the steepest grade 69%. Matt Carpenter founder of the Incline Club and an incredible mountain, trail, and ultra runner has a nice web page describing the Incline: http://www.inclineclub.com/incline.htm
The Start of the Incline
No Gym Stair-Stepper Can Ever Match This!
About ¼ way up it started snowing and by the time we got to the top we were socked in and I couldn’t get any descent pictures. Matt’s web site has some great pictures. An easy run down Barr Trail completed the run. Felt pretty good today. I think I've re-adjusted to the altitude.

At the Top

Saturday: Long trail run.
Run: 4.1 hours, 17 miles, 4659’ climbing
Friday: Easy recovery run.
Run: 47min, 5.3 miles

More Pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/larry.dewitt/CRUDWilliamsIncline?feat=email#

http://picasaweb.google.com/swbremner/20090307WilliamsCanyonTraverse?feat=email#

Time for a Rest

Today (Thursday, March 5) was climbing day. I had decent climbing legs on the run, but they disappeared on the bike. Started the day with the CRUD hill climb. I could definitely breathe better than last week! It was a beautiful morning with no snow at all. Pretty much everyone set an all-time PR or a season PR. I ran a 39:15, exactly 3 min faster than last week. We took Columbine trail back down for a total of 10 miles.
Dan (on a single speed) Had to Wait on Me Today
As soon as I finished the run, I jumped on my bike, rode through Ute Park, Garden of the Gods, & up Gold Camp. Met Dan at the base of High Drive and we proceeded to climb up Palmer Trail to Section 16. I normally have to struggle to keep up with Dan, but keeping up today just wasn’t in the cards. I thought Dan was getting frustrated waiting for me, but he was actually enjoying watching me suffer.
Starting the Climb up Palmer Trail
Section 16 is one of the more technical & steeper descents around Colorado Springs. Sometimes I can ride it really well, and sometimes not so well. Today was not so well. I was a bit slow & crashed once but got down ok. It’s an incredibly fun descent, when you’re on.
Coming Down Section 16
We then rode Intemann Trail to Red Rocks and two very fun trails that were new to me! From there we circled back to Section 16 and back to Gold Camp. I crashed hard just before we reached Section 16, going over the handle bar and hitting a rock with my head and shoulder. Luckily nothing broke and we continued on. From Gold Camp I headed home via Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods, and the Flying W Ranch hill. I have this tradition (some call it superstition) that when I ride home from long rides, no matter how tired I am, I have to go home via the Flying W hill. I sure didn’t feel like climbing that hill today, but I’ve been here many times before and will be here many times in the future. I spent a good part of the rest of the day with an ice pack on my left shoulder and an ice pack on my right wrist. I’m fairly banged up and I think its time for a rest. Climbing Back Out of Red Rocks
Thursday, March 5:
Run:
1.5 hrs, 10 miles
Bike: 4 hrs, 33 miles, 4219’ Climbing

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Commuting

In Colorado Springs, this week my training has been commuting to work. It’s a great way to get in some base miles and save money at the same time. In San Diego, my world is work, the gym, the hotel, and the grocery store. All within walking distance. I work lots of hours, train, eat & sleep. A very simple life. In Colorado Springs I have a 19.5 mile commute to work. I ride to work, work, run at lunch, work, and ride home. Not much time for anything else. I have put gas in my truck one time this year. Practically the only driving I do is back & forth to the airport.
Commuting to/from Work

My commuting set-up makes me look like a nerd, but that’s OK. I ride a 15 year old Schwinn, with a head light, blinking tail light & usually pull a BOB trailer. I carry my clothes, shower stuff, breakfast, lunch, tools, and work stuff, such as folders, books, and sometimes my laptop. Going up hill feels like riding a tandem with your partner not pedaling. The route to work is a combination of bike paths, trails, dirt roads, and residential roads with little to no traffic. It’s a great ride!

My Commuting Rig

Wednesday:
Bike: 1.5 hrs, 19.5 miles commute to work. (Roswitha was in the neighborhood and gave me a ride home)
Run: 31 min, 3.7 miles

Tuesday:
Bike:
3 hrs, 39 miles commute to/from work.
Run: 1.1 hrs, 8 miles w/10 * 15 sec sprints.

Monday:
Strength workout, primarily core.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Back with the Gang!

A Very Fast Group
Today was a fun & painful day on the bike. There were a lot of studs on this ride and the urban assault rides in San Diego paid off. We started at the Woodman trail head and headed for the Falcon Trail. Once we hit the single track it was game on. I struggled somewhat on the climbs and lost contact with the front group, but we regrouped every 15 – 20 minutes. After an hour or so, I seemed to be doing better and wasn’t getting dropped on the climbs. Every time this group gets together it’s like a race. My legs were feeling yesterday’s run, but I was stronger than I expected and held my own. This was a good intensive mountain bike ride which I haven't done this year. The lunch time road rides in SD are where I've been getting my intensity this year, so this ride was not a complete shock to the system.

Kara, Stud of Studs, Climbing on her Single Speed

Everyone on this ride is fast and tough. Guys like Dan & Kara Durland who do 24 hour solo races, Leadville 100 and other epic races on single speeds. Relatively few women even finish the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race. Kara finishes and wins year after year on her single speed!

Hitting Ute Park on the Way Home

After the ride, (about 3 hrs) I had to do what one has to do when they're training for the LeadMan. Ride some more. I continued on to Ute Park and did less intense but technical riding. My legs were really feeling the climbs but I was riding my beloved trails in my beloved Ute Park. After about 1 1/2 hours or so I headed home. This was also my first ride on my 2009 race bike. It's sweet!

Bike: 4.6 hrs, 37 miles, 3760'

Total for Week: Bike: 13.4 hrs, 152 miles Run: 7.9 hrs, 40.8 miles