Monday, April 26, 2010

35 and counting

35 years old started out with an early AM ride trying to beat the storm that was headed to Denver and would eventually drop a small blanket of spring snow later in the day. I was able to ride with my training partners and friends and we really had a blast. I enjoyed the warm weather at the start and as we started to climb it was fun to be in the mountains seeing snow all around and working to get to the top. The ride for the day was a loop on Wadsworth; a small 4 mile out and back warm-up and then we would head up to climb up to City View road. This is a road that is 3500 feet from the valley floor and has a very spectacular view of the Denver city. Before you get to this view and this road you need to make the climb up Deer Creek road and then up to the School house. The speed up to the switchbacks slow was slow and we were all visiting and when we arrived at the turn off to get to school house Beth decided it was time to get our workout in. We were able to keep a good enough pace for the next 3 miles to catch some of the riders that passed us while we were in our chillaxen pace. One rider (Wearing pink gloves) did not like the fact that we made this move and by the time we hit the switch backs he passed us back again and so I decided since I was leading that I would hold onto his wheel. I dropped it a gear and we were climbing and increasing the speed at the same time and I was approaching my top end. It is early in the season and I really have only started to do high end training over the last two weeks and was not really prepared to push to this level on this day but remember I am now 35 and have to show that I am not getting old often and in what Anne would say "a very stupid manner". I held on to his wheel and heard that this chap in pink gloves was maxing out by his breathing and so I wanted to push past him hard and fast enough that the statement would read "THOU SHALT NOT FOLLOW OR YOU WILL DIE". As I made the move and hit the next turn I was on my own and was alone taking personal inventory. In that inventory I realized I grabbed a box of "stupid" from the shelf and not "smart" and allowed myself to blow up. Not that blowing up is bad except I was only half the way up and only a third of the way done with the ride to the timing and location was not ideal. I slowed down so my HR could come back from the boiling red point where smart people do not go in the middle of a training ride and went into the "try to recover mode". I kept things rolling and within half a mile Sonja, Beth and John came rolling by without pulling the "your an idiot and if it was not your birthday we would leave you" banner out for all to see. Sonja kept a great pace and soon she was gone, soon Beth was gone and yes soon was John. I made it to the top of School house, not in the best shape but I did make it. The few climbs up to City View Road were harder than I have ever, possibly because I had cement for legs and they were done. I rest of the ride was fun, it was mostly down hill and I love to bomb the downhill.
I learned today that I do have a max and this will always win over my ego!!!! I am sure that I will try to prove this theory wrong again sometime when the memory of today has warn off. This is a bit of who I am, I am not proud of this but I has helped me in times past as well.

A quick lunch with the gang and then off to meet the family.

In the pool at 24 Hr is where the kids were swimming. The water felt great and it was fun to see Lexi swim on her own. She is getting better, almost to the point where we will feel good about her able to re-act somewhat if a problem were ever to occur. Again, I should have kept that one in my mind, but really I think we all look at the risk of life and we are glad when our kids make it to the next stage of whatever (Swimming in this story) and can lower the risk for a problem to occur. Josh and Jackson's swimming is greatly improving since the stroke classes and they should become pretty good after their first season of swim team this year.

The rain started shortly after this and we spent the remainder of the day indoors. We had Rusty and Holly over for dinner and the kids as usual had a blast. Anne made German Chocolate Cake with Mint Chocolate ice cream for desert. This is the only time I like to eat this desert and I love it greatly each year.

Happy birthday to me, I am now 35 and feeling just a little old. I am not sure why of these feeling but I do feel just a pinch old. I will try to beat it out of me with this weeks training, I only have a few weeks until Rev3 in Knoxville, my first Olymipic Triathlon of the year.

Love you Anne,

T

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