2012 Tour of Colorado!

8/18 

Prologue: 
DENVER
Short spin and a Rapids Football Match to boot!

8/19 
Stage 1: 
DENVER
MTB? YeaH!

Try some Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora?

or Estes Park MTB?
http://www.snowypeakswinery.bravehost.com/

8/20 
Stage 2: 
LEADVILLE!

Leave Denver and start driving to Aspen.

Stop in Leadville for a bit of a ride?
http://www.leadville.com/bikehike/maps.htm

8/21
Stage 3:
ASPEN!
Ride from Aspen to Crested Butte to see stage finish?
or Independence Pass?

Overview of our "Grand Boucle:"

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Road Closures for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

8/22
Stage 4:
ASPEN!
Independence Pass?
It will closed starting at 10:30 am for the race!
or Aspen Mountain Biking:

Link 1

Then watch the Pros finish the race!
Head up to Silverthorne after...


8/23
Stage 5:
SILVERTHORNE
MTB, ride down to Frisco Bay and ride the Peninsula
Grab a vegan bite at:
Alpine Natural Foods
301 W Main St, Frisco, Colorado (80443) 
970-668-5535 

8/24 

Stage 6: 

SILVERTHORNE

Very early ride in Keystone, up Jack Straw/Jones Gulch Road. Keystone Ski Resort is at the top!

Check out Pros in Breckenridge? Get some autographs?

Then gotta get to Colorado Springs!

OR Get up early and ride the race route before road closures and ride in Colorado Springs...

No need to watch for road closure, go through Denver:

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Original crazy plan with stops in Estes Park and Steamboat: Too much to do.

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Race #135: 6 Hours of Good Mojo!

Photos by Jamie Clifton Images and Karen WH

Months ago I dreamed that I might have a chance to win this. My friend Marty has owned this for years but I felt if I had a good day and he had a bad day that I might have a chance. Then I remembered Brent. Brent is from a motorcross background, and when he rides it likes he is in another league — like he has little motors in his legs. Last year he was fourth but it was only because John Bryan was his first endurance race. This year Brent has been hanging with the pros in all the NUE races. So second place or third again, right? No pressure.

Luck was on my side that day. I picked a good place to drop my bike for the Le Mans start. I ran quickly, not going out too hard, Spencer was ahead and grabbed his bike. This perfectly opened up a spot for me to run through with my bike. I wheelsucked Gary Lunsford for a sec and jumped into the woods in third place. The first lap was really muddy, my crossmark rear tire fish tailing everywhere. I kept waiting for people to catch and pass me. I just tried to ride well, keep it smooth and stay upright. I kept it steady and emerged from the woods still in third with Brent ahead of me and 1 Male Duo team member just in front of me.

I was pretty much alone for a lot of the race. Just pushing myself trying not to lose too much ground to Brent. I thought he was 10 minutes in front if me.

I was approaching the race like a long time trial. In years past I have focused on completing fast laps, then doing recovery laps. But this year I changed my tactic by attacking and recovering in the same sections each lap. This made my lap times more consistent.

So in the middle of the race I caught Brent. Brent was single speed and he chose a very hard gear to push in the wetter conditions. I know if he was fully geared he would have won that day, although he is kind enough to say otherwise. We rode together for a few minutes, but I became worried that we would be caught. I had no clue who my competition was!

So I pressed ahead and felt that pride you feel when your wheel is in front. It used to make me nervous and I would l ride too hard and wreck. But I was confident in my consistent lap times and I was feeling great! Wow, I rarely have mojo this good!

I was trying to beat my time from 2011 but the muddy start slowed me down a bit. I chose consistency over flooring it and it paid off!

I can't but feel this may be one of the last wins I get. I am grateful for it, and I am grateful to have shared it with friends. Jeni, Darrin, Brent, Bjet and I enjoyed some BBQ and a bit of beer after!

Devil in the White City!

View CX Jack Park Course 2 in a larger map

So I've been reading Larson's "Devil in the White City" about making the 1893 World's Fair, and the serial killer that preyed upon young women during the fair. I can't wait to ride down there and explore the park and imagine the scenes in the book coming to life. The weekend before my visit there will be a cyclocross race down there! So I plan to ride down and get some hot laps in and ride back.

Also, watching all these Olympics make me wanna try a velodrome too. Hmm. There's one in Chicago. Perhaps I will have a go.  http://www.chicagovelocampus.com/

If I want to MTB on my CX bike, I could potentially go here:
Palos Forest Preserves
9800 South Kean Avenue Palos Hills, Illinois 60465

There is also a pump track that might be fun to visit on the ole Redline CX bike:

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Another year of Hot Harbin TTs!

Are the results right? A fight for the clipboard and some swagger. 

I love the Harbin Park time trials. They are pretty tough and they really help set you up with a base fitness for cyclocross.

Unfortunately this year I did not get to do too many of them. And when I did, I definitely did not feel as strong as in the past. There were times I owned all the lil hills in the course and flew up them like a wannabe Alberto Contador. Now I feel like I am just crawling up them — they are really putting the hurt on me!

I thought I would look back and see how I faired in historical context.

We had a sunset picnic after the last race. 

7/11/2012 Week 1, hanging with friends
Lap 1: 24:53
Lap 2: 25:28  
8.6 mi, 0:50:21, 10.25 avg mph
AVG Heart Rate 160, Max 180
6 out of 19, finished in top 31%


8/1/2012, Week 4, Feeling a bit tired
Lap 1: 24:37
Lap 2: 26:34  
8.6 mi, 0:51:11, 10.08 avg mph  
AVG HR 164, MAX 184
5 out of 12, finished in top 42%

2011, Feeling Strong for Cross
7/14/2011 Bastille Day Chain Suck
Lap 1: 24:08
Lap 2: 26:06
8.4mi, 0:50:14, 10.03 avg mph
4 out of 9, 44%


7/21/2011 Psyched Out and Baked
Lap 1: 24:05
Lap 2: 24:42
8.4mi, 0:48:47, 10.33 avg mph
2 out of 12, 16% and Second Place!




2010, My First Year!
7/15/2010 Week 2
Lap 1 24:31
Lap 2 26:01

8 mi, 0:50:32, 9.5 avg mph

6 out of 10, 60%

8/5/2010 Week 5
Lap 1 23:57
Lap 2 24:23

8 mi, 0:47:50, 10.03 avg mph

5 out of 8, 62% but getting faster

8/12/2010 Week 6 
Lap 1 23:10
Lap 2 23:49

8 mi, 0:46:59, 10.22 avg mph

2 out of 6, 33% and bested myself!

Please accurately name your Strava rides...