PR

i love a good challange. yesterday was my hometown 5k race. back in 2006 this was my first "race" and longest run. yes, 3.1 miles was a long effort back then.

i was not really sure what to expect this year. with only 100 running miles in my sneaks i figured it would be uncomfortable. the distance isn't an issue and my fitness is solid with 3300 cycling miles to date. however, running with speed can hurt. especially if you haven't attempted to do so in over a year.

i was running with my best friend since high school. he is a fast little dude who has really taken to running this year. i just wanted to keep him in my sights. i did that until the very end. plus, my left leg did not fall off or explode.

21:57 was the time and a PR by 35 seconds. not to shabby for a middle aged cyclist.

Leadville, The Movie.

Elite Upgrade

Elite Upgrade, originally uploaded by aham23.

just like late season 2008, i am tweeking my fit as the 2009 season nears an end. so, in order to get my arse better situated on my toupe i have this; Thomson Elite Seatpost, no setback.

psimet.com delievers the goods once again.

I'm not snoring....

It's Friday and that means I have the afternoon off.

One of my last of these Friday Summer hour days.

It's raining. I will still ride. I will get wet.

It's likely I will enjoy it immensly. That is all.

Powerful Toys...........

DNS

did not start the Dairyland Dare. sometimes life knocks and you have to answer the door. no worries. later.

Saddle Up

it is Dairyland Dare time. this should be a very interesting effort for me. since my glorious return from Colorado my time on the bike has been less, but good. no climbing work, but plenty of hard efforts and group rides.

although, last week and this week a thing called life has jumped up and bit me in me arse. i have only three rides, with last nights Tuesday Night Worlds effort being extremely poor.


yet the 200k of the DD is calling this Saturday.

Elevation Gain: 14,988 ft
Total Distance: 130.1 miles
Average Grade: 4
Rest Stops: 6


me being me, i want a better finish than last year, which was 8:23 ride time / 9:38 total time. i know, whine, complain, sandbag, but still expect to be better. ah, that is the way of the roadie.

we have solid bunch from the BFNIC heading up to Dodgeville Wisconsin for the ride. some of the best climbers our little gang has to offer. if they don't drop me like its hawt i should have comrades to attack shop hill road.

i also plan to keep a look out for Super Climbing Tri Girl and Minneapolis.

roll out.

Quality Time

last year as July ended i was burning out as i attempted to join the 700 club. you know, 700 miles of cycling in one month. the legs were dead. the IT Band was barking. i fell just short, in fact a ride short, since i took a couple days off to recover.

last summer July and August were about quantity.

fast forward to July 2010. i just finished my last ride of the month and have 434 miles for July. these are good miles. some of the best i have ever ridden.

since returning from Colorado i find it hard to trudge out solo on the old flatland routes that i call home. instead, i have been hitting up a couple group rides. the Tuesday Night "Worlds" ride is short and fast. the Saturday LBS ride is longer, but a step below in speed, when compared to Tuesday.

both are challenging and contain several stronger rides than i. i am having fun with them and the obvious progress i am making. endurance has always been my thing on the bike, but my recent tangos with speed have me thinking........

Rewards Program

i think i need one of these. why? well, i recently surpassed 10,000 cycling miles. 10,203 to be exact, which is how i like it. this little cycling obsession started in 2006. i think this milestone deserves a reward. who is with me??

jus sayin.

Looking Back

Looking Back, originally uploaded by aham23.

Still looking back at my Colorado trip. What a great time. I snapped this picture as I neared the summit of Cottonwood Pass at 12,000 feet.

The Return

Family vacation time is over. With only 4 rides in July I am well
rested and ready. Ready for what is the question??

Numbers Game...

First, all the pictures and videos that you could ever want to see of my recent cycling trip to Colorado are HERE in slideshow format.

Second, I love me some numbers.

2009 Bicycle Tour of Colorado Stats:

-553.17 miles (6 days of riding)
-35:24:46 Saddle Time
-15.6 mph average speed with a 49.4 mph max
-132 bpm average HR with a 197 bpm max
-81 rpm for the average cadence
-33,285 feet climbed


Cottonwood Pass

--13.54 miles of dirt road to the top
--2,730 feet climbed on that dirt road
--9.4 mph average
--148 bpm average with 160 bpm max
--79 rpm average cadence
--12,126 feet above sea level

Independence Pass

--17.1 miles of climbing
--3,015 feet climbed (During the 17.1 miles)
--10.5 mph average
--136 bpm average with 156 bpm max
--79 rpm average cadence
--12,095 feet above sea level

My June

--880 miles
--53:41:33 saddle time
--Memories that will last a lifetime

We are still posting pics and ride reports for the trip over at our BTC Blog. Link, "Getting High" is to your right.

Independence Pass

Independence Pass - BTC 2009 Day 7
Originally uploaded by aham23

Early in the climb to 12,000 feet. This is the last day of the 2009 Bicycle Tour of Colorado. The legs already had 450 miles in them. This day was just average 103 mile ride.

Team Flatlanders Is Back!

What a fantastic cycling adventure. The 2009 Bicycle Tour of Colorado was of the charts enjoyable. It is a cycling memory that I will never, EVER, forget. I rode my bike up and over two of the biggest passes Colorado has to offer. AND I did it well.

I have plenty of pictures and videos to share, but just need time to sort through them all. Stay tuned to the official BTC blog we started for those. You can find it via the Title Link for this post.

chew on these quick hitters:

-6 days of riding.
-553 miles
-35 hours on the bike
-33,000 feet of climbing (Garmin #)
-crossed the Continental Divide Twice
-earned the respect of serval mountain goats
-ate 32 PB&J samiches


later.

Colorado Dreaming

http://t-and-a-get-high-btc2009.blogspot.com/

Check the flatlander rocking the mountains.

Later.

SSSCSF

solo self supported century suffer fest was my Sunday.

the departure for Colorado is this Friday. need i remind you fantastic folks that this ride averages out to 92.5 miles per day?

my cycling fitness is at an all time high. 700 miles ahead of last year at this time. if counting hours (trainer and rides) i am 60 hours ahead of last year. i feel like the time has been well spent.

all of that being said, i needed a mental boost. i needed to be out on the bike for 5hours plus. thus, i mapped out a 100 mile route and hit the road at 7:00 am. i had two bottles of HEED and one Water, a Cliff Bar, two Hammer gels, and a plan to stop around mile 70 for more fuel. the weather was the opposite of my Saturday 40 miler, PERFECT.

first 70 miles were decent, but something was off. the old stiff neck of days past was up and causing troubles with my entire back. the wind was not calm anymore and coming out of the North West at a decent clip. the little gas station didn't have any cold samiches. after some water and a snickers i started to head back home which just happens to be all North and West.


the first 70 were around 18.4 mph pace while the last 26 were at 15.7 mph. not only did i suck it all the way back home, but i didn't even obtain the joy of seeing 100 roll over the cyclocomputer. man i really wanted off that bike around mile 80.

pre ride maybe i thought my alleged superior fitness would yield a herculean effort. i don't know?? later on i realized the SSSCSF was not a failure. i got what i needed out of this ride. mentally and physically i met the challenge. i finished and i re-learned how important on the bike nutrition is.

later.

final BTC preperation...

that's right. white & red socks to match my ride. that is all.

Arse Nirvana

Getting High....

in 13 days i will be at 8,000 feet above sea level. that is just day one. follow along on the dedicated BTC Blog. if AT&T permits it, then i plan daily updates with pictures. later.

i ask you again, are you training hard enough?