So I have been team teaching a periodization class for cyclists. Periodization is also know as “base” training. It’s all about staying in lower heart rate zones to create a base endurance fitness. Valerie, the other teacher, and I decided on 9 weeks, though 12 is most ideal, beginning with 4 weeks in the endurance zone, 2 weeks coming in the bottom of the strength zone and 2 weeks in pure strength before a final race day class. This type of training can be used in just about any sport. We have several runners and triathletes taking the class to get started on their summer season.It always surprises me how many people want to sign up for a class where they get to suffer and sweat with the same crazy instructors for 9 weeks.

View of Chair Mountain on the way to Marble

The benefit of the class has been an organized fitness regimen for January, February and half of March, setting up the participants for a good spring riding season.We had classes twice a week and asked participants to ride at least two more times a week in their zones, plus a longer training session on the weekend of at least 2 hours. I highly encouraged crosstraining to prevent boredom and injury. Good winter crosstraining sports for cyclists include, nordic skiing, snowshoeing, swimming and even downhill or backcountry skiing. If you live in a non-mountainous place,  such as Minnesota, I will throw in snowmobiling and shoveling. I also encouraged my class to start a weightlifting program and trying mind/body classes like yoga, pilates or tai chi.

The class has benefited me as well. I am currently teaching 5 indoor cycling classes a week and it forced me to wear my heart rate monitor and watch what I was doing. This has prevented me from overtraining. I also think my endurance base is very strong, just by the few times I have been out on the road. This is very exciting. I want a season where I can keep up with the boys on long rides, or at least see them ahead of me.

Summer at Prince Creek

One of the most fascinating aspects of this class has been discussing goal setting. We have 8 participants and all of them had completely different goals. Everything from enjoying 4-5 hour mountain bike rides, to doing a half Ironman, to doing a century ride, to just getting a start on spring fitness, to running a marathon, and simply getting back in shape. My goal was to be able to do a 40 mile ride in March in Moab and actually enjoy it. I also wanted to work on bringing my cadence up and getting better on my cross bike on single-track. I think these goals will happen and quite easily because I broke them down to process goals and skills goals. I’ll write another entry on goal setting in the future. Just recommending that any endurance athlete should try a periodization class if they have the opportunity.

Everyone need a challenge; setting a goal no matter how small is important. George and I want to ride at least once every month in the Roaring Fork Valley.

December was not a problem for riding. We were still mountain biking on Thanksgiving and it didn’t snow until mid-December. It rained first then turned to snow, then turned to ice, inches of ice. The roads were really bad, and my shared driveway was worse. I slipped getting out of the car and landed on my purse. Nic slipped down the front steps and almost knocked out his teeth. I decided it was time to chip the ice with a cro-bar (that was all I had). My neighbor Jason and I decided chipping ice was easy. Jason bought a shovel for it and I had a cro-bar.

Jason chipped at the ice a few times and the shovel broke in half. I chipped with the cro-bar and decided a one-foot patch was enough. We threw some animal-friendly salt down and went back inside. It melted a month later.This was when I really missed my bikes. We lucked out this year and the end of January warmed up.

George and I decided we had to ride, and Wednesday the 21st, looked to be our one day window to make January happen. George scouted the roads and decided that the most navigable path would be the frontage road from Cathrine Store to El Jebel. There were still a few patches of shaded snow, but nothing that could stop a cross bike. I taught a spin class and then we packed it up drove to Catherine Store.

I forget how hard it is to dress properly for winter riding. I had on shorts, two layers of thermal tights, shoe covers, a base jersey, arm warmers, fleece isolating layer and a breathable shell, followed by my soft shell. I wore a skull cap under my helmet and my Swix lobster gloves( quite possibly one of the best purchases of my life). This was truly an expedition. There was the excitement of new frontiers and we really hoped there wasn’t a headwind on the way home.

Though I was stuffed like a sausage I could pedal my bike. The sun was out and it made a huge difference in our completion of the ride. George and I are on a roll. February riding will be cake.

George Forages the Way

Lots of Snow

Black clothing absorbs heat

Home for the holidays, always has a nice ring to it. I am a lucky girl, I come from Bozeman Montana, a very cool place. My brother, Ethan, and I always talk about the light in Montana. There is something about the way the light hits anytime of the day that let’s us know we are in Montana and no where else on the planet. Maybe it’s being so far north and having the clean air, maybe it’s the sprawling valleys and mountain ranges. Maybe it’s magic.

Montana Activities

The last few years I have returned to Bozeman during the Christmas cold snap and it was 10 below when my airplane landed at 11 am. No worries, we brought down jackets.After surviving the flight from Grand Junction and landing in SLC with 10 minutes to make our next flight, Nic and I were ready for anything. However we would like to thank Myrna for the Christmas cookies she gave our parents. If we hadn’t had them with us, we would of died of starvation from the airport delays and shenanigans. Yes, my parents never saw the cookies.

I remember several years ago skiing at Moonlight Basin. My brother, Ethan, and I thought we were hardy Montanans and that zero degrees was no problem. We forgot Moonlight was north facing and windy. The chairlift was the killer, we got to the top and skied down saying nothing ( too cold to speak). We then got on the other chair lift that would lead us to the lodge. We skied straight for the lodge, fearing frostbite was setting into our toes. It was 10 am and people were drinking pitchers of beer, afraid to go outside. We had a couple of shots and went back out for two more runs. The day continued in a similar fashion.

Back to this Christmas, even though it was -10, Nic, Ethan and Cristin, Ethan’s girlfriend, wanted to ski. It warmed up to about 10 the next day and we went to Big Sky. It wasn’t terrible, just that the Ramcharger chairs were swinging 10 feet with the icy west wind. The snow was great ; it was light and there was no one skiing it. I was surprised by the lack of people at Big Sky. Was it the economy or that 10 degrees made most people want to stay inside and drink hot buttered rum?

We went to Bridger Bowl a couple days later and the weather was wholly different. It was practically balmy.

Not too much else happened, we did some Montana activites as seen below in the photos. Skiing is a great way to train for biking because doing anything outdoors in the winter is good. Hurray for snow.

Montana Activities

Lone Peak is just a little chilly

One Stokes, Two Forbes

Deer Park Lift

Bridger Bowl

Artsy Photo of Breakfast

wow! Classic

Maroon Bells from the lake

The road to the Maroon bells is only  12 miles long, but nearly every cyclist who visits Aspen has a vision of riding it. I have been up to the Bells numerous times, but always in the flush of summer, trying to escape the heat. I have wanted to ride up to the Maroon Bells in the autumn for some time, maybe 3 years. The stars just never aligned for me until this year. George, a fellow journalist, and I decided that since we had the same ambition we should go ride it.

We parked at Tiehack and set out dressed for a chilly fall day, only to shed layers and sweat up the climb. The colors were spectacular; we couldn’t of hit a more perfect day to ride.

Almost to the Bells

amazing colors

bells from the lake

Maroon Bells from the lake

George picks up speed

The steepness up has it’s advantages down

The base of Mount Sopris was absolutely rainbow-colored with scrub oak, aspens and foliage all different fall shades.The air had that crisp feel indicating that the sun was passing southward for a winter into the tropics.Then the wind blew all the leaves off the trees, which was a good thing, as the branches over the Prince creek trails were dropping quite low.

In Colorado, I am still spoiled as the cycling season can be pushed with desert riding. This fall the weather has been mild and riding each month of the year in the Roaring Fork looks like it might happen. On Thanksgiving Day we got a group of mountain bikers together to give thanks to Prince Creek with a little ride.

The weather was grey but the temperature was fine and most of all the trail was still dry and riding. I am thankful for single track and my bike.

Airing up the tires

Warm clothes today, I am thankful for leg warmers

I am thankful for my bike

George adjusts something, and is thankful for bike tools

The boys ride up the road

Nic comes off the car

Nic rides the car on “MonteCarlo”

Nic loves Thanksgiving

I am a bad camper.

That is the honest truth. I like beds, heat and showers. I like hot food. Now here is the other truth; If I was a better camper I would know how to cook hot food and sleep comfortably. The other problem is that I forget I am a bad camper until the hour before I am supposed to leave town to camp. Leaving town goes something like this.

Nic, the boyfriend: Are you packed?

Me: Yes

Nic: Where’s your sleeping bag?

Me: Oh, it’s in the storage unit. I thought I would bring my down comforter.

Nic:You’re going to freeze.

Me: Well, we’re sleeping in the car right?

Nic: Ok … do we have an air mattress.

Me: Yes, but it won’t fit, it’s too big for the back of the Subaru. We could tent it.

Nic: We don’t own a tent.

Me: I guess we can call around and borrow one, though we we’re supposed to leave two hours ago. What are we going to do for coffee and food by the way.

Nic: Cook it

Me: We don’t have a stove.

This is the point where the Moab weekend unraveled. We decided to ditch the mountain bikes — though I really, really wanted to ride Bartlet’s wash– and take the crossbikes. We then noticed that it was a little late in the day to get a ride in at Moab. I like to think that adaptablity is a great character trait in a person. So we ended up in Palisade touring the wine country. The roads are empty and the grapes had yet to be harvested. It was lovely.

We end up in a hotel and we get up early and go to Fruita. Riding 18 Road on cross bikes is a challenge, but the end-of-the season trails are very buffed out. Within a couple Kessel laps I’m rolling over everything. However 4 laps at 18 road is enough to knock your fillings out. I have decided that next time, we bring both the cross and the mountain bikes. Owning a quiver of bikes offers so many options. I figure, you do a few cross laps to get the handling skills firing and then switch to mountain for some shock absorbtion.

So sometimes not making it to Moab is a good thing.

Mount Garfield

Vineyards and Nic’s head – taken by Nic

Almost Sonoma

The unseasonably warm weather of February has stirred thoughts of December. December 6th was the last time I rode in Fruita. It was wonderful. I would call it an “old Fruita” experience, hailing back to the days when no one knew about Fruita, not even Grand Junction knew there was a town called Fruita. I don’t remember who did it, but some bike magazine wrote a story and then all of Boulder came to ride in skinsuits. But you know that’s ok, I would rather have people recreating on land and appreciating it, then not.

Last December at 18 road there were three cars in the parking lot. Nic and I were absolutely amazed; it was dry and 60 degrees. We debated clothing for a while, finally deciding on knickers and a light shell. We took out our cross bikes and did a warm up — riding up the road — and down Kessel. I mean shouldn’t most single-track be ridden down? Though I think turning Herbivore to uphill only would be ok.We then went up Chutes and Ladders as we knew there was no one in the area and the chance of a collision was greatly reduced. We crushed tumbleweed that had blown over the trail and about 45 minutes into it, thought we might be lost. Eventually we came to familiar ground as we started the nasty climbing back up along the Book Cliffs.

Guess who forgot to eat something and bonked. I also forgot that Chutes is a longer ride, that was really my issue. The light was dropping low, enhancing the gold of the many, many hills we went up. I made it to the base of last hill , which felt like the 47th steep hill we had been on in the last twenty minutes, and finally decided to lay down.

Nic rode up and assessed the fetal position and bike next to me and explained, “Honey, you can’t die here ok.”

I was so tired and out of energy and I was considering at least sleeping there. After some coercing, I pushed my bike up the last loose hill with the only energy I had left. It was still a good ride, we had 18 road to ourselves. December is a fantastic time to ride there. If you can get out in the off-season, do it. Just make sure to eat.

Curvy trail

The top part of the hill was a little loose for my bike

Can you believe it’s december

Coming up Chutes and Ladders

Tricky, Very Tricky

One of about 47 steep hills

Nic stands on the final hill

Nic goes big

I would like to thank Belgium for the sport of cyclocross and I would like to thank Canada for my cross bike.

There is something so attractive about people decked in clashing spandex, racing through the mud on modified skinny tires. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a crisp fall day watching these hardy souls run up slick hills with their bikes slung over their shoulder like messenger bags. As spectators or participants there is fine Belgium beer to be had and Lion of Flanders flags to wave proudly. Cowbells will ring and bratwurst will be eaten conquering cold weather and torn jerseys.

This has been my first year riding a cross bike on a consistent basis. I like to remind myself of the glorious history of cross as I pedal around dry Colorado. I like to think of all the pro roadies not getting enough of their bikes and riding until the last possible moment when the snow begins to fly.Cross began as a training tool to help my mountain bike handling skills, which could be described as a semi-truck driving in reverse through a furniture store. My kind boyfriend purchased me a Rocky Mountain Solo Team after I expressed mild interest in cyclocross. I think he had been waiting for the slightest a whiff of a green flag.

This is the only photo I have at the moment

My little bike ‘s first day of riding was a local mountain bike race up the Prince Creek trail system. There was a crew of Carbondale locals who raced this event on cross bikes and registered with the names of famous dopers. My friend Richard – who rides like a professional — borrowed it when it was hot off the build stand. It was odd to not break in my new bike, but I couldn’t be the one who screwed up the dopers idea just because I had to work. To be honest, I have no idea how my bike performed or where Richard placed, just that Richard decided he needed to get better at mountain biking before he started racing cross on single track.

So my bike went back to the build stand and after a few adjustments, like swapping out the gruppo from the original Shimano kit to SRAM, O Canada was ready to ride, just in time for Oktoberfest.

Prince Creek Trails Await

I decide right off the bat that I would be hardcore cyclocross. I put on arm warmers, leg warmers, knickers, the most Euro-looking jersey I owned, plus a skullcap under my helmet; I went straight for the singletrack with thoughts of muddy low country fields and brooding grey skies. Well, I ended up on the mountainous, buffed-out, not-super-technical singletrack. My body and mind were firing new and confused messages. Was I on a road bike or a mountain bike? Why were there so many rock gardens on this trail? How much cactus could I run over accidentally before I flatted? I was also having flashbacks to my teenage years riding a rigid frame on the gnarly trails around Bozeman. I think my cross bike has better suspension than my original mountain bike.

What it came down to is that the cross bike responded like a racecar with studded tires, not like the supped-up off road vehicle that is my mountain bike. This situation reaffirmed that my handling skills were not polished, in fact they were caveman-like. I spent a good deal of time in the bushes and off the edges of the trail. I did however enjoy the easy climbing and giggled quite a bit on the descent. Talk about a way to spice up your everyday trails.

Well that’s about it, I’m glad fall has Oktoberfests and cyclocross.

It’s been about a month since Gunnison and the boys are back at endurance games. Twelve hours sounded so much easier — no night laps– then we realized the course was pretty much unrideble at night and that is why 12 hours is how it’s got to be.

Everybody was crankers at 7am

Props to the organizers for realizing 1.) the course is steep, then technical and not meant for night ( typical ski resort course), 2.) not having night laps lets more people join in as they do not need headlamp setups, 3.) that for the last two years it has snowed Balloonfest weekend, 4.) that because the course is difficult and begins at 8,000 ft, most people will begin to lose motor skills after 12 hours, even on a team of five, 5.) to include a Clydesdale category.

Like Woodstock but with bikes

Nic and Dave are getting pretty good at this endurance racing stuff and we have food and drinks down to a organized system, sorta German in it’s own way. This is the beautiful combo of Nic and Dave, Dave is German yet laid back and has fantastic stories about his German relatives and Nic’s obsessive compulsiveness would allow him to be director of the German rail system. Things just work.

The base camp setup was awesome in this race, all the tents were along the start and finish line on Fanny Hill. The support crew actually got to watch the race. Again we represented with the Yeti tents and the Colorado State flag. Did I mention that the weather was unbelievable?

Dave takes on the hill, again

I really think it helped setting up a warm-up course on Fanny hill, so people didn’t have lactic acid overload on their first lap. No seriously, if the body doesn’t warm up properly — especially with a high-intensity athletic endeavor, like mountain biking — all sorts of weird physiological things occur. Like too much lactic acid, too fast, rapidly increased heart rate, and early fatigue, plus the inability to sustain intensity. Basically at 8,000 feet without a warm-up you honestly start to think about the burgers and ice cream you have eaten in the last month and wonder if you are having a heart attack.

Nic charging to the finish so he can do another lap

So I suppose I should say something about being at a race with Lance Armstrong. I truly appreciate Lance. He has piped life into American cycling. He has made people get up off the couch and get on bikes. He has made Americans investigate a Euro-centric sport and realize it’s sorta like Nascar, but they pedal. I know people like to spout bad things about cycling pros, but I’ve always seen that as jealousy or infectious negativity.

Lance was all politeness on the trail and off. He was passing Dave at one point, and Dave said “Thanks for coming out and doing this.” and Lance replied, “No problem, I like doing community events.”

Lance Armstrong on the final corner

I think it was great for the inaugural blast of this event. It was pretty cool to see him methodically riding up the warm-up course and floating up the big climb. I think all the riders, many who were local, were stoked to just have him around. How many people get to say they were in a race with Lance Armstrong?

So Nic ended the race with a little drama and i thought I would include that photo sequence and a nice little gallery.

like woodstock but with bikes

Colorado weee! Go Dave!

Everybody was crankers at 7am

Nic charging to the finish so he can do another lap

Lance Armstrong on the final corner

Nic charging past the tent

Dave takes on the hill, again

Like Woodstock but with bikes

Lap 8 or something like that

What a little ham

Nic is done now

Dave is a freight train

The car is a little full but Darren managed to get in

Aaron has bike events down to an art form

This was my first trip to Gunnison, the coldest part of Colorado and often the lower 48. Nic and Dave raced Duo Pro again but this was the true test – 24 hours of racing. They came in third!

The course began in the KOA campground south of Gunnison, on the way out to Hartman Rocks State Park. Great facilities with grass, do you know how nice it is to camp in grass instead of sand and grit. They also had a couple of scenic ponds and shuffle board.

What surprised me about the course was the nice, long flat spin out to Hartman Rocks where the single track started. This several miles of paved road  is one of the nicest setups for a race as a warm-up and cool-down. Very good for the athlete.

This was the first time I had ever been to Gunnison and Hartman rocks was so deliciously good. It was part desert and part sage prairie with nicely built switch-backs, fun winding trails and even a little rock rolling. I rode the course with Tyler “the man who should be pro” Henderson and we rode until the first sweep dirtbike caught up with our dilly-dallying pace. Tyler was waiting for me quite a bit. Can’t say that my mtn bike pace is swift.

Nic and Dave both did awesome and held it together remarkably well. I think they both trained a little bit more for this one. The day went off well and honestly the night laps went down ok too. So, yeah both of them biffed it huge at least once. Dave almost knocked himself out ( he has the helmet to prove it.)  But both of them found a second, third and probably fourth wind. there was no super epicing on this race, so regardless of podium place, it was successful.

To me this is what is so interesting about endurance racing — Nic rode with a dislocated thumb and Dave rode missing tissue around his Lumber 5 and both of them appeared to get some sort of delight out of the pain and test of 24 hours.

I would personally like to thank Tyler, Lee, Richard, Aaron and Myrna for coming down and helping, you guys made a huge difference. Thanks to Jerry as well, it is always a privilege to be in the presence of the 24 frisbee champion.

Here is a quick photo gallery