Stage 7 Trans Rockies

Lake Placid Xterra Clinic

So what do you do after 7 days 400k’s, 40,000 feet of climbing, riding, pushing, hiking.  Not to mention a broken derailer hanger, a twisted and jammed front derailer, a loosened and jammed up cassette, riding 30k with zero break pads, two flats, mud packed in every possible pivot, seal and crevasse.  (I will say the Global Trainers never failed and were key.  We had no idea where we were on course so knowing the K’s to go and the elevations we could figure out when the climbs would end, how far to next check point and finish etc.)

Well if you are Will Kelsay you perform the ultimate brick and drive from Alberta to CO and race  the Trans Rockies run.  For me it was a Red Eye back to NY and then straight to a junior Nordic Camp and Stratton Mountain School in the Green Mountains.  After 5 days of camp with 1, 10minute swim, 1, 1hour ride and two hikes up Stratton it was off to Lake Placid and the Adirondacks to the premier Xterra in the east.

Lake Placid Xterra Swim

I was a little unsure of how I would respond from the past two weeks but Saturday I felt great riding and swimming.  Of course to keep line with all the mud at the Trans Rockies it rained all Sat. night and Sunday.  Although I don’t like racing the rain it does suit my strengths as a mountain biker.  Sunday morning I actually held onto some decent feet and came out 12th and was 4th onto the bikes.  Mid-way through the super techy, rolly, tight single track bike course I was in the lead.  I knew it would be a long race but it was 2.5h when I got off my bike and started running. Good thing I had some extra power gels and blasts plus something called “red bull”.  Then I was able ran strong, smooth push over the hilltops to fastest  55min run split, finishing in 3:25.  Xterra World’s is under 3 hours!

After 3 weeks of bike only or basically nothing I had a great swim and run.  Either it was a taper that worked awesome or maybe I should just ride more.

Bike Start Xterra Lake Placid

As I’m starting to regain strength, each week I’m attempting something from my previous active life that I have been missing so much. I’ve gone from short walks to gentle yoga for 80 year olds  and this week it was getting on the dirt bike.

Sunday was my 26th birthday and I wanted to do something fun! After a great morning, we packed up a lunch and jumped on the dirt bikes to ride up in the mountains since it was 100* in Boulder. No, we didn’t go tear it up as it was hard enough for me to ride on straight dirt roads…plus, Bryce wouldn’t let me lead so he could control the pace!

We found a nice trail off Switzerland to stop, relax and have lunch. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a much better way to spend your birthday than with your favorite person, a gorgeous mountain view and a homemade lunch

Pretty nice, huh? I was totally exhausted when I got back but well worth it. A long nap and great dinner with friends complimented the wonderful day. I’m trying to be patient as my body recovers from EBV but it’s not easy…one step at a time.

Congrats to everyone on the team who has been doing so well this season. Keep posting your training, racing and life events as my morning routine is coffee and good reads on the Timex blog :)

This weekend I had the opportunity to do some “suffer-fest” training with Kirill Kotsegarov, last years Ironman Florida champion. What a fantastic opportunity to train with one of the best in the sport and a great guy from Estonia. Kirill is training in Colorado to gain some au natural’ red blood cells before Kona.

Fueling for 5+ hrs of suffering in the wind and hills; you saw it here first- this is how the champions do it!

1100 calories of cinnamon roll is good for 2hrs worth of energy on the bike!

On Sunday I was then able to run at one of the best long distance running trails in the area; Rampart Reservoir. It is a 13 mile loop of beautiful singletrack at 9000′ elevation around a mountain lake. Every little hill I feel like I go into oxygen debt!

To make this perfect run even better there is a snowmelt fed stream to ice the legs immediately post-workout.

I traveled to Leadville CO this past weekend to watch and pace the Leadville 100 mile trail race. After sleeping in my car Friday night in Leadville,  I drove my husband to the Hope Pass trailhead to start his hike at 7am. He was a volunteer EMT at the top of Hope pass from 10am-9pm.

With only 4 hours of sleep I was tired but had nothing to do until 7pm when I would meet my friend to pace him from Twin Lakes to Fish Hatchery, about 17 miles.  I geared up in my Timex jacket,  leg warmers, hat and gloves. It was only 40 degrees at 8am.  I did not wear my heart rate monitor,  no speed records were set. The purpose of my ride was to enjoy my  Orbea, stop and take  pictures.

I road from Twin Lakes, 9300 feet, to Leaville 10000

Then around Tortoise Lake and

back to Twin Lakes.  I stopped for about 30 minutes cheering for the runners. Finally I ascended Independence Pass. Taking a quick picture before the final switchbacks ending above 12000 feet.

If you are thinking of watching or pacing the Leadville 100, Twin Lakes is the aid station to be. You see the runners at mile 39.5 and 60.  Pretty amazing. I hung out there for 6 hours after my ride. I started to pace Fred at 8pm leaving him at the Fish Hatchery at  1am, mile 76.  Hard to imagaine after running/walking for 76 miles he still had almost  a marathon to complete.  Ironman is probably harder to train for,  running 100 miles in harder to complete. One day I will let you know.

I am not sure if I have more bizarre animal encounters than other people, or if I am just more likely to talk about it. Anway, the last two weeks have been more animal-ey (why yes, they did teach me that word in Journalism school) than usual.
It all started a few weeks ago when I was riding my bike down a canyon, probably in the 40ish mph range, when I hit a bird with my face. Yes, my face. It was disgusting. I didnt even realize what happened until the wing was in my mouth. As a previous vegetarian (for 18 years) this was not okay with me. I was absolutely traumatized, and am still not sure how I didnt fall off my bike backwards, despite the fact I was descending.
The next week I was riding up past Jamestown (same canyon) when I saw what I thought was an albino devil goat with a beard. The thing was fugly plus a little more ugly. As I rode past, it pointed its head down, with its big devil horns pointed right at me. YIKES! I had a hard time describing the encounter to my lane mates at the pool that day, but I think I convinced them that I had seen a majestically white ram (?!) The next day, as I told my friend Brookie Cookie (not her real name….did you think it was?!) anyway, I told Brooke what I saw and she informed me that it was a big horn sheep. They are fairly common in that area. I liked it better when it was an albino devil goat….
This leads me to today. I had a fairly busy day of run, swim, coffee date, work, strategic planning with JD and Bob (his cat), and then a bike ride. I rode up the right side of the canyon, and then up the left side, and then over the backside. I was riding down the backside of Lee Hill, a pretty screaming descent, minding my own business, when I saw a bear running up towards me. I froze. I had zero options at the moment. I could keep descending and ride right into it, or turn around and go 6 mph back up the canyon. What to do…What to do….I have a life motto. I have always lived by the words “if you dont know what to do, do nothing.” The jury is still out on this motto, but until I replace it with something better, it is how I operate. So I did nothing. And watched it charge in my direction. Just than a car came around me, and slammed on its brakes. At that point the car was in between me and the monster. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably 5 seconds, it walked in front of the car, and down the other side of the canyon to the creek.
I flew down the canyon in a blur of emotions, stopped at the first intersection in Boulder…and threw up. I cant really explain that part of the story. But that is what happened. I rode through town, shaking and hyperventilating, got home, took off my shoes, called my dad, and told him “no…I am sorry…I didnt have a chance to take a picture of the bear.” I will have to keep that in mind the next time.