Drawn again in 2010!!!
3 November 2004
5 November 2004
31 December 20048-week mark!
30 January 2005
4 February
5 February
6 February
12 February
13 February
15 February
18 February
20 February
22 February
25 February
26 February
27 February
3 March
4 March
5 March
6 March
7 March
8 March
9 March
10 March
11 March
13 March
14 March
17 March
18 March
14 April
15 March
16 April
17 April
18 April
23 April
30 April
5 May
7 May
8 May
11 May
14 May
15 May
16 May
17 May
20 May
21 May
22 May
23 May
24 May
26 May
27 May
28 May
29 May
1 June
2 June
3 June
4 June
5 June
6 June
7 June
10 June
11 June
13 June
14 June
16 June
19 June, Day 1
20 June, Day 2
21 June, Day 3
22 June, Day 4
23 June, Day 5
24 June, Day 6
25 June, Day 7
first appointment with neurosurgeon
back surgery
Neurosurgeon said 8-10 weeks, so I imagined I'd be doing 40 miles a day again by today. I wish healing could happen that quickly.
I did five minutes on the stationary bike two days ago, and ten minutes yesterday. Today, 25 minutes for 5.9 miles.
12 miles on mountain bike ("MTB"), first time on a real bike since surgery. Thought Waterton Canyon would be easy because I was up to 9 miles on the stationary bike. Bumps still hurt. Tremendously. Ready to quit after 9 miles, but still had 3 miles to get back to car. Did ride to end instead of walking bike, but it was NOT fun. What a letdown.
11 miles on MTB, too lazy to put air in road bike tires, South Platte
snowshoe 4 miles up to about 12,000 on Bierstadt; had to carry Camelback on my front; going downhill still bites
2005 Ride the Rockies Route announced - GJ to Breck - and I LOVE IT!!!
25 miles on road bike ("RB"), Chatfield
not comfortable, but survived
12 miles on MTB, Waterton Canyon
12.7 miles on RB, South Platte, first time relatively pain-free since surgery
8 miles on RB, South Platte, darned cold
ALSO: mailed in 2005 RtR registration
4 miles Kokopelli Trail -- no, NOT on a bike
14 miles on RB, South Platte, OTBSC
No, I'm not going to define that. If you don't know what it means, you don't need to know.
15 miles on RB, South Platte
epic day -beyond stiff but very satisfied
30 miles on RB, South Platte/Chatfield
12.2-mile hike up Waterton Canyon, no bighorn, darn it
13.5 miles on MTB, Waterton Canyon, up close and personal with bighorn
made it to CT without stopping (wanted to go further, but mud and snow still hamper back and knee)
10.5 miles on RB, South Platte
The one day I leave camera at home, sunrise spectacular!
10.5 miles on RB, South Platte
Jitterbugging skunk guarding southern roadblock/detour - tail bushy and erect - I have NO choice but to get off my bike...
4-mile hike up 13,117-foot "Cupid" from Loveland Pass
14 miles on MTB, Waterton Canyon and first section of CT, without stopping
(then made raspberry snowcone wannabes with unpredictable nosebleed)
aerobic kickboxing
owie
A business associate in Atlanta received RtR confirmation. He's in. How come someone in Georgia gets theirs before someone in Colorado?!?!?
13.6 miles on RB, South Platte, first time clipping in since August
14 miles on RB, South Platte and Chatfield (ascent of dam road)
hike about 5 miles, Waterton Canyon, in snow
No official word yet, but RtR check has cleared. We're in!!!
first massage to break up scar tissue
It's official! Received packet today!
Not so sure I like this year's logo, but I'll enjoy the ride!!!
10.5 miles on RB, South Platte, 3 30-second sprints
Oh, it feels SO good to be back on my bike!!!
10.5 miles on RB, South Platte, 3 30-second sprints
Okay, next time I get told to take a one-month break, I'll stay off the trails, but I'm going to make time to sit in the saddle half an hour or more at least twice a week or so if at all humanly possibly. The sit bone is not too happy right now.
25.2 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
4-mile hike, Castlewood Canyon
15.2 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
30-minute beaver break
41.2 miles (whew!) on RB, South Platte to Bear Creek to Fossil Ridge to Red Rocks to C-470 to Deer Creek to Chatfield to South Platte
two tulip breaks and two oxygen breaks; slow but steady on climbs; back tired at 36.3 miles; knee gave up 20 miles earlier :)
45.2 miles (double whew!) on RB, 2,000 feet elevation gain Colorado National Monument, first leg of RtR
I'm beginning to believe I can do this!
grueling headwind; multiple breaks; still slow but steady on climbs; entry station to first tunnel non-stop; back strain less than two miles from top of Monument; knee fared much better this ride; neck pain first time ever; exhausted at 38 miles; pondering replacement of slender, vented racing-style saddle
Six-Month Anniversary of Back Surgery
5-mile hike, No Thoroughfare Canyon
45.8 miles on RB, 2,000 feet elevation gain, Colorado National Monument (CNM)
new saddle, multiple minor bike adjustments along the way, better climbing, entry station four miles to top of main climb non-stop, neck pain again
1-mile run along South Platte
Okay, so "run" isn't quite the right word, but I don't know the term for slow-motion jogging.
4-mile hike, Gates of Lodore
24 miles on RB, headed toward CNM but opted for a river ride instead due to back strain
4-mile hike on Bear Creek trail near Silverton, most strenuous hike since surgery
24.8 miles on RB, CNM, non-stop 12.8 miles to top of climb, but then tipped over in celebration after getting stuck in pedals, purple shiners!!!
Today's the deadline for requesting an RtR refund.
Two years ago, I over-trained.
This year, I have seriously under-trained.
I wish I had another month, but I think I'm going to go for it.
64.7 miles!!!!! RB, Buena Vista Bike Fest
32.2 miles sustained climb in headwind, 32.5 miles of descent in headwind; the ultimate in cruelty
daughter did 14.5 miles, the last couple at 2.4 mph (and you thought I was slow!); son did 43 miles; I managed 14 miles up Independence Pass
I'm exhausted and sore, but I'm pleased and satisfied.
Oh, almost forgot... carried Camelbak the entire route. On my back!
My daughter said it's the best birthday she's ever had.
23.5 miles on RB, Chatfield
10.5 miles on RB, South Platte
14.5 miles on RB, South Platte
13.6 miles on RB, South Platte
finally developed saddle callous
14.7 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
5 mile hike, Middle Cimmaron Fork
5 mile hike, Molas Lake/Colorado Trail
13.6 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
I can carry the bike up three flights of stairs on my shoulder again!
16.5 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
17.6 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
26 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
had planned to go up Mount Evans, but it's snowing there
seven-month mark
66.1 miles on RB, Elephant Rock
23.2 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
10.5 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
9.6 miles on RB, South Platte Greenway, mud bath
One week to go, and I think I'm ready. I still wish I had another month, and yet, I wish it was over so the pressure would be gone.
Sometimes I wish I hadn't registered this year, but deep down inside, I'm glad I challenged myself. Without next week's deadline, I definitely would not have pushed myself.
I wonder if I will ever be back to the condition I was in a couple of months before surgery. One of my closest friends says maybe I'll always fly with a dip in my wings. Perhaps. If this is as good as it gets, I promise to be thankful I can still fly.
7.5 miles on RB, Mount Evans
not plowed beyond Summit Lake, and can't ride down; too deadly bumpy for rims AND back
good ride, good rhythm, altitude didn't wipe me out
13.7 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
9 miles on RB, South Platte
25.4 miles on RB, South Platte to Chatfield
45.4 miles, Colorado National Monument
66.5 miles, Grand Mesa
46.5 miles, Delta to Montrose
18.5 miles, Montrose to Cerro Summit and most of The Oil Pit
66 miles, Gunnison to Salida, Monarch Pass
61.3 miles, Salida to Leadville
41 miles, Leadville to Breckenridge, Fremont Pass
2003 RtR Training Journal
2005 RtR training journal
2010 RtR training journal 2012 RtR training journal
2013 RtR training journal
2014 RtR training journal
bikemaster: snowcatcher at att dot net