I'm Back

After what seemed like a month off, I'm back to try and finish out the cycling season before returning to the N. Platte to fly fish for some monster trout. The break after High Plains Classic took a bit out of me as I attempted to race the Longmont crit P-1-2 category with 2 easy days of riding. 30 minutes later I was in the beer garden enjoying the free beer. Ahh, to be back on the river fighting 20" bows.

Well that butt kicking was enough to motivate me to try and salvage the rest of my cycling season (shoulder permitting). Riding enough to keep me fit and prepare me for Fed Center and Bannock next week, I tested the waters of fitness yesterday.

The CCC road race, 25 miles of rollers and wind, would let me know if I should just bag it or head south on Saturday. Pretty good competition this year had me just hanging in til there was just 3 of us. Even then I was figuring on getting dropped as I was always the one to bridge back up to John every time he attacked, taking a little out of my legs every time. I made my do or die bid with 3 miles to go on the long uphill before the flat to the finish. 30MPH! holy cow I'm moving. Only Cary could follow. we worked together to the finish and I passed him easily to take the race.

The Friday and Saturday before I was camping up in the Snowies for some hiking, fishing , relaxing, and for the dogs to have some fun. Fishing for brook trout in a small stream with a 3wt is fun, as long as the dogs behave and don't jump in the creek. That's a pretty bad thing to happen when you are targeting fish in a 3' wide creek. After a morning of that we (me and the dogs) headed up past the summit for a hike. Hiking at 10,000 feet is a pretty good workout. 3 hours later I was ready for a breather at lower elevation (and to get back home to do a long ride the next day)

So after another long ride today up toward the summit, it's time to take a midweek break before heading to Denver this weekend.

Bike Racing Devils Tower style

I raced the High Plains Classic stage race this past weekend. This race probably qualifes as overkill seeing as it was my 3rd 3 race weekend in a row. (others would call it great training) This year with the race getting a little more turnout than last year was much more competetive. I had hoped to fair better in the 85 mile first stage, but a return of muscle cramps left me just hoping to finish the last 2 miles. As expected, I was unable to hold the pace of the leaders on Bear Lodge Pass which is 6 miles long 30 miles from the finish. In total there was at least 6 climbs on the course including the 2+ mile ascent to the finish. I finished in 7th, 15 minutes down on the winner, not bad since I was basically on my own for 30 miles. Sunday's 2 stage event was a morning 8 mile TT and afternoon 42 mile RR. I did well in the TT (3rd) seeing as I had only spoked Zipp wheels to ride. The RR went off smoothly for the first 21 miles and we even stopped to let the Cat4-5s ride through as we were in no mood to be fighting it out in the heat for the full distance. (Temps were in the 90s both days and the Cat4-5s olnly did 45 miles the day before with less than half the climbing we did) At the turn-around in Avla the smooth ride went into hyperdrive as Brent from MOB Cyclery attacked the climb and everyone jumped to get on his wheel. Then someone else hit the gas and I knew I was in for some pain. As I dropped off the back I could only think of how much I could afford to lose and still catch them on the long descent. As I neared the summit I picked up one of the dropped Saskatchawan jr team riders that came down for the races and told him to grab my wheel and hold on. I knew that if I could not catch them my race would be over. So I opened up the floodgates and picked up as much speed as I could as I downhill timetrialed my way back into the race. When I got there after what seemed like over 5 minutes of chasing, the Junior rider, Steven, that I towed with me was extremely grateful. The thanks was paid back a little later when, unable to grab a bottle in the feed due the high speed, he handed me a bottle of gatorade. I finished 3rd in the field sprint as one of Steven's teammates (there were 6 of them) had attacked on the descent and soloed in the 15+ miles for the win. Next year should be huge after the guys go back and tell their teams (MOB, ColoBikeLaw, Denver Spoke, VC, Montana Velo, etc. about this event.
There is no road race like this in Colorado and once the word gets out about the courses and level of rider support (neutral rolling feeds) The masses will drive more than the 10 hours it took the guys from Team Saskatchawan to make this race.

Emerging from my Pain Cave

2 days after finishing the Dead Dog I have finally emerged from my pain cave. Of course today's one hour massage probably had a lot to do with it.
You can read my interpretation of my road race HERE

musings
Leg cramps are a real biyaatch. Don't want to have any more of them this year.
Always grab a bottle in the feed zone... always.
doctors don't know everything
Back to back to back 3 race weekends are doable

Preparing to enter the paincave

Dead Dog Classic this weekend. It'll be a fast, painful weekend in the 35+ category.

Pain.... I like it, Suffering.... not so much

Am I back?

To answer this question I headed down to do the club's 7.7mile TT this evening to get schooled by JC after his sweep of the Colorado Senior games. I didn't expect much more than sore legs after 3 days of climbing. Wind was out of the south, a cross wind, not much help but not a headwind. Probably the most ideal neutral conditions to be found.
Motivated by the performance of Boonen's prologue TT at the Dauphine Libere, I accelerated out of the saddle sat shifted and sprinted out of the saddle again before settling in on my ride.
My body was rock solid on the TT bars, a product of achieving the ideal bike fit this past winter.
Riding along at about 34 MPH I didn't think that I was on par for for a record as there were times last year that, with tailwind, we were hitting almost 50MPH.

I crossed the line in 13:56

I was elated to hear that I had finally beat John on this course. It's a friendly rivalry and he has definitly helped me to improve my TT.

Then I was told that I had set a new course record breaking the old record by 6 seconds.
That was a goal I had set out for last year but found it difficult to reach.
Now I need to reassess my goals for the TT
Only 10 more club TTs to try and improve on this time.
Hopefully this form carrys over to Dead Dog and High Plains

Climbing,

is there such as thing as too much?
Friday up to USFS sign and back: >1000'
Saturday the Dead Dog RR course, Albany -Ryan Park and back: >6600'
Sunday to the summit, partial DD TT course and back: >2300'
Total for the weekend 165 miles and over 9900' of climbing.
No wonder my legs are tired.

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The bunny has been relocated. After multiple intercepts by Nikki, it was time for him to move to a new home. So after this mornings capture we walked him to the fields south of the house and released him. I hope he finds a new hole to hang out in. Nikki still runs out to the bush where she usually found her friend.
Sorry Nikki, bunny is gone.

And the verdict is....

The shoulder is intact, no tears. Just a massive strain/pull/ whatever. A couple of months of physical therapy and I should regain full motion according to the ortho doc. I can now officially resume whatever it was I was doing before the May 19 crash put the brakes on.

MMmmm Bunny!

In other news Nikki caught the bunny that lives under the house again. This time I had to step in and take the bunny away as Axel was engaging in the "whatever Nikki has I want" game. Not wanting to have 1/2 a bunny between them, I picked up the little guy and put him in a cat crate to make sure he was fine. All limbs firing, a couple photos later and back under the house he goes.