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?

I raced the rain and won.

(testing texting to blog. NO not sexting! Texting!!)

Double or Nothing

This is me on the last climb of Saturdays 62 mile 6000 feet of ascent.
Despite getting ready to descend at 50 mph the pain and suffering
prevents a smile :)

I love this route. Great ride with the BFNIC.