Monthly Archives: August 2015

August 1st – Copper Triangle

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I’m leaving at the crack of dawn to ride over to Copper Mountain, from Silverthorne, to ride the Copper Triangle benefit ride.  This year is my year for these benefit rides.  I think I’ve done three now.

This ride happens to benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation, who is a friend of mine.  This ride has raised over $750,000 since 2006, so it is going to a good cause.

And breaking news, as of yesterday, Taylor Phinney, Davis’ son, is racing the Tour of Utah, which starts in a couple days.  This will be his first race back since he destroyed his leg at the US Professional Championships last year.  I hope it works out great for him.  It is also the return race for Peter Stetina, son of Dale Stetina, uncle, Wayne Stetina.  He got pretty smashed up himself this spring, and this will be a good place to get back into the swing of things.

Anyway, Vincent is driving over and I’m doing the hour before and a little less back.  I think, if all goes well, I’ll have around 112 miles total, with close to 8000 feet of climbing.  Pretty long day for me.

I took it easy yesterday, just riding over to Copper Mountain and back slow with Vincent.  It was 34 miles.  My throat feels amazingly better, but my legs have nothing.  Hopefully that won’t be the case today.  There are lots of sag stops, etc., so if I’m having one of those days, I’ll just poke along and enjoy the scenery.

I might be driving to Telluride after the ride, with Vincent, to go look at a puppy he is thinking about getting.  It’s a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and there are only two puppies available.  I told him just to tell the guy he would take one.  Once you go see a puppy, you are going to get it about no matter what.  It is a 3 1/2 hour drive each way.

I been eating a bunch of eggs and kale for breakfast recently.  It is Vincent’s deal and now it is my deal.  It seems healthy when you make it with coconut oil, but I’m all mixed up with what is healthy for humans nowadays, so I am just hoping it is good for me because it tastes good and seems to stay with me on a long ride.

Okay, it is chilly out right now, 45, I think.  Not supposed to be above 60 until after 9am, 3 hours in.  It only makes you appreciate the warm more I guess.

Custom numbers and wrist bands.  Kind of cool.

Custom numbers and wrist bands. Kind of cool.

Start of breakfast.

Start of breakfast.

I've been feeding the hummingbirds up here in the mountains.  They are very hungry.

I’ve been feeding the hummingbirds up here in the mountains. They are very hungry.

Sunset last night.  It was a blue moon.

Sunset last night. It was a blue moon.

Copper Triangle then to Hotchkiss for Puppies

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Yesterday was a full meal deal.  I got on my bike around 6:30 to meet up with Vincent in Cooper Mountain to do the Cooper Triangle ride.  It was pretty chilly, my Garmin said it was around 37 when I got up to Copper, which is about an hour from Silverthorn, mostly uphill.

I felt pretty cruddy riding over there.  It was a little headwind and I was overfull from breakfast, plus I hardly ever ride that early.  And I’ve been riding a ton and it finally felt like it was catching up with me.

I got up to the start of the ride around 7:40 and nearly everyone had already left for the 78 mile loop.  My hands were pretty cold and we started straight up Freemont Pass.  Vincent told me he planned to ride hard up all the climbs/hills and take it easy on the flatter sections.  I said great, sarcastically.

But, he wasn’t kidding, because within a few minutes, I was riding 350 watts up Freemont Pass.  I sat on for awhile thinking that I should just ride my own pace, but in the back on my mind, I figured that Vincent would poop out some and slow down enough to make it tolerable.   And he did.

But, we keep riding pretty briskly.  At the top, Vincent wanted to stop to get some food, since he didn’t have any in his pockets.  I got a banana and we headed down to Leadville and then back on 24 towards Minturn.

Tennessee Pass is there, but it really isn’t much of a climb.  After that is Red Mountain, which is a pretty hard hill, but it is really a hill and not so much of a climb.  Vincent climbed this off his seat the whole way and I was sort of in pain, once again.

The descent off Red Mountain is great.  Fast and fun.  Then it goes fast thru Minturn, back up threw Vail, up Vail Pass and coasting back on the bike path down to Copper Mountain.  Pretty great loop.

I ended up with 111 mile in 5:42.   Pretty quick pace considering all the climbing.

After the ride, I showered quick and Vincent and I drove over to Hotchkiss, CO to check out some Wirehaired Pointing Griffon puppies.  It was 3 hours and I still don’t know exactly where we drove.  South of Glenwood Springs is all I know.  It was a very pretty drive, interesting area. Where the dogs were was an eclectic place.  Weird metal art, trout ponds, antique cars, huge seashells.  Really interesting.  Vincent got a puppy, but he can’t pick him up until next week.  The puppy is fearless and adorable, as all puppies are.   We got back a little late, so it was a short night.

This morning I’m off early again.  I’m supposed to meet up with my team mate, Brian Jensen, in Leadville at 8 am and ride the Leadville 100 climbs-Powerline and Columbine.  Sounds like it might be pretty hard. Not sure that is what I need to do, but right now it seems okay.  I can always just turn back early.

Climbing up towards Red Mountain.

Climbing up towards Red Mountain.

And starting up Vail Pass.  Pretty much a log jam at the bottom, with a sag stop there.

And starting up Vail Pass. Pretty much a log jam at the bottom, with a sag stop there.

There was a soccer tournament going on in Vail at the Ford Park.

There was a soccer tournament going on in Vail at the Ford Park.

Vincent's new puppy.

Vincent’s new puppy.

This clam shell was maybe a meter across and weighed 210 lbs.  Something from the land of the giants I guess.

This clam shell was maybe a meter across and weighed 210 lbs. Something from the land of the giants I guess.