Hello Boulder!

My first day in Boulder and already I’m in love with this place. The air is so fresh and clean and the sky is SO blue. The whole place has this healthy active feel to it. Not to mention you see almost more cyclists than motorists out here.

The day started off with a morning run. My HR was a little higher than normal and spiked on even the slightest incline. To be expected. After my run I went for a little sightseeing ride around town. “Downtown” is small and Pearl Street is a walking mall, sort of like a high-end Granville Street in Vancouver or the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

After my tour of town I headed out east a little ways. Totally enjoying my ride and not paying attention to much else, I cut a corner across some hard-packed dirt. You know how hard-packed dirt forms ridged grooves from tires? Well, I got my front tire into one of those grooves and it wouldn’t give it back. My wheel and I were headed in different directions, and or course, I was the one that gave in and hit the deck. I felt like a total dork. Some guy in a truck pulled over and asked if I was okay. What great people here.

So I rode off with a little road rash, a bloody knee and a broken cleat. Hello Boulder! I’m here! ;-)

My second day in Boulder I got the 48-hour altitude headache. It hit me around noon and stayed all day long. That was my only adjustment to altitude.

My third day in Boulder I went for a long ride out towards Ft. Lupton. On one section of the ride, you cruise along a road that rolls parallel to the Front Range. The views are amazing -- rolling plains bumping right up to the Front Range mountains and snow-covered peaks beyond them.

I had a funny feeling at one point rolling along the highway gazing out over the fields. For a brief moment I didn’t know where I was. I was in my fourth country in half as many months, and for that brief moment, didn’t know which country it was I was in. That was good for a giggle.

My fifth day in Boulder it was time to start hitting the hills. My first hill was on the Boulder Peak Triathlon course, Old Stage. Solid little climb, that one is. At the top it started to rain, and then hail. Hail hurts when it hits your face at 35mph. Ouch! Fortunately I had my do-rag with me, so I pulled over and tied it over my face like a bandit. Woo-hooo!

I’ve noticed an awful lot of prairie dogs out here. Those little critters have one heck of an attitude. I was stopped at an intersection on the Diagonal Hwy when I saw a little prairie dog run out into the road. He promptly sat down smack-dab in the middle of the far lane with his back to the oncoming traffic. Traffic slowed and TWO lanes of traffic came to a complete stop, honking at the little critter. He didn’t budge. Then someone rear-ended a car at the back of the hold up. As soon as he heard the crash, the little prairie dog picked up and boogied back to the side of the road. He was greeted by his prairie dog buddy and the two of them stood up and did a little jig. I think they did that on purpose -- like a dare. ;-) Pretty darned entertaining.

My first week in Boulder was capped with a nice little morning snow storm. Say what? I thought this was May. ;-)

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Bike LT -- May 11, 2003

Today I we went over to Mike Ricci's house to do a bike lactate test. I've wanted to do one -- just to see what I could hold -- ever since I helped with Gordo and Clas's LT tests in New Zealand.

It was totally cool!

They set me up on the trainer, hooked up the laptop to the computrainer and then we started with 120 watts, stepping up by 20 watts in four-minute intervals. Just before the end of each interval, Gordo stabbed my finger and measured the lactate in my blood. Doesn't take long for your finger tip to start feeling abused. ;-)

The first thing I found was how difficult it was to hold steady watts. I did a lot of swinging over and under before I could hold within range. Focus, focus, focus. The test lasted about 24 minutes. I stepped up to 220 watts with a 10.0 lactate reading and 164 bpm HR. Phew! That last interval was bloody hard, but I held on. My coach was impressed that I hit double-digits -- many people don't the first time. He then told me I have a 12-hour IM in my legs. That's my potential, now we just have to train to it. :-)

Did I mention how totally cool that was yet? Tres cool. Yes indeed.

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Vegas to Boulder - May 14-27, 2003

Boulder to Colorado River, CO
Gordo came up with this idea to do a point-to-point training road trip from Las Vegas to Boulder. He got a few guys to join him, me to drive the RV and do support, and we were off to Las Vegas. Photos and route profiles are at http://www.socaltrilife.com/V2B/v2b.htm .

Gordo and I hit the morning masters session and then we went for breakfast bagels with Cameron Brown. Gordo had decided he’d kick off the trip by riding to Georgetown. Cam would ride with him as far as Lookout Mountain and Chuckie V would meet them along the way. Funny thing at breakfast, they had what looked like mini cinnamon twist rolls on the counter. Gordo grabbed one and started munching on it much to the horror of the girl behind the counter. “Those are dog biscuits,” she said. Gordo shrugged and ate it anyway.

I met up with Jay and Berti at the RV place, loaded up and headed out to meet Gordo and Chuckie in Georgetown. Chuckie was absolutely hilarious and had some great stories he shared along the way. He rode across the country at 15, spent 12 years in a techno rock band on synthesizer, spent 5.5 months hiking the Pacific Coast Trail solo, was a pro cyclist for seven years before getting into triathlons... He had my eyes watering I was laughing so hard more than once -- it was getting hard for me to drive.

We stopped in Colorado River State Campground for the first night and promptly got the equivalent of a tree stuck in big toe. No idea how I did that, but it was wedged right under my toenail. I managed to pull out the tree, but a chunk of it was still in my toe. Dr. Berti went to work on it and pulled it out. My hero.

Our campsite was nestled between two rugged canyon walls. The moon was rising behind the canyon wall to the east and shining down on the one to the west. It was a truly amazing view. I left the curtains open above my bed so the cool bright moonlight could shine in.

Aside from the “tree-in-toe” incident, this trip was off to a great start. I also had a great group of guys to travel with here.

Colorado River, CO to Las Vegas, NV
We woke up to a cool morning and light rain. The guys suited up appropriately and all rode to Grand Junction for a track workout. I was supposed to do the track session as well, but couldn’t get my running shoes on. My big toe was swollen, red and extremely sensitive. It even hurt just wearing flip flops. I wasn’t overly disappointed about missing my run though -- it was pouring rain by this time.

After a quick stop at Starbuck’s, the guys piled in the RV and we b-lined it for Las Vegas. Vegas. Ugh. I could do with it. However, no trip to Vegas would be complete without a visit to the one-armed bandits. Gordo didn’t join us for the casino trip par for course, but the rest of us went and did some big time gambling like the high rollers we are. Chuckie was hootin’ and hollerin’ about winning on the 5¢ machines. Then Jay yelled out, “I won! I won!” He got a few disapproving looks when he grabbed two quarters from the coin tray. It was definitely entertaining to say the least.

All in all it was a good trip to the casino – I took my 75¢ winnings home with me, Chuckie broke even, Jay lost all his winnings and Berti walked out a few bucks richer.

Didn’t know it beforehand, but walking back the RV I looked up to see a lunar eclipse. Tres cool, I must say.

Las Vegas to Mesquite, NV
First stop on our schedule today was a swim at the Henderson pool. The guys rode there but they got lost. I got lost too and we finally all hooked back up at a Wal-Mart parking lot. Turned out all the pools in Henderson were closed due to a special event. So I cooked up a feast in the parking lot while Chuckie told his “happy camper Wal-Mart” story. Gordo almost spewed his oatmeal all over the RV and I couldn’t see through the tears from laughing so hard. Then they were off for a 120-mile through the desert to Mesquite -- last stop before the Arizona border.

I was in Mesquite well ahead of the guys, so I went straight to the rec center for a swim. My toe was still screwed and was even bothersome pushing off the wall in the pool. Actually getting to swim was a bonus, too. Their outdoor pool was closed for a private function and the indoor pool was closed because they didn’t have enough lifeguards on duty. Seeing a look of disappointment on my face at the register, they let me have the indoor pool all to myself. Tres cool.

Gordo and Chuckie arrived about an hour ahead of Jay and Berti with most entertaining stories from the road. The temps were up in the triple-digits out there and Jay had a bit of a tough day -- woofed his cookies but rallied back.

The day ended with a visit to the “all you can eat steak & seafood buffet”.

Mesquite, NV to Zion, UT
Today’s first stop was St. George, Utah at the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center. Gary was flying in from Seattle and would be riding with the crew to Price, UT. The guys had lunch while Gary got his bike ready to roll and I iced my toe. I figured if I did that for a bit I’d be able to at least ride my bike.

My toe wasn’t looking too good, so we found a medical center about seven miles away that I could ride to and get it checked out. Not such a good idea. It hurt so much that by the time I got to the med center my eyes were watering. To top it off, the center was closed and I had to ride all the way back. Fortunately it was mostly downhill so I could keep pressure off my foot.

When I got back to the RV the guys had already hit the road except for Berti. I decided a stop at the hospital might be in order since we were in the last decent sized town for the next few days. Turns out that was a wise choice. The doctor said I had toelio and an infection was just starting to take hold. Option A was a round of antibiotics. Option B was to freeze it and then dig around to make sure there wasn’t anything still embedded. Option A seemed like the wiser choice of the two.

Unfortunately, the guys made it to Zion before we even left St. George. Good thing Berti was with me -- I had him prep the dinner food while I drove. It all worked out quite well.

Zion to Bryce Canyon, UT
These guys can be so entertaining. This morning they headed off from the campground to run to the east side of the canyon -- about 18 miles with 4K of vertical. They thought there was a watering hole partway. Not so it turned out and they ended running three hours in the desert on one bottle of water each.

I rendezvoused with them so they could cool off, fuel up and roll out for another 75 miles and 7K of vertical on the bike. About halfway to Bryce, I picked up Gary. He rode part of the way with me and then hopped out to ride that last 20 miles into the campgrounds.

Chuckie has this thing where he likes to have people autograph books they’ve written thanking him for their success. When we were at the Zion National Park entrance, I learned that Ranger George had carried the Olympic Torch last year. So, I had him autograph a park map to Chuckie, saying he couldn’t have done it without Chuckie’s support. Good sport Ranger George was.

The guys were a little rough around the edges today, but they kept it rolling.

Bryce Canyon to Torrey, UT
The guys were up and off early this morning for a gorgeous ride through the canyons. They really were seeing all the best parts of this land -- we all were.

Our lunch stop for the day was going to be in a state park, but it ended up being in Boulder, UT. I passed Berti and Gary on the climb about 20 miles out of town, Gordo and Jay were powering along, and Chuckie was nowhere to be seen. I finally happened upon him peeling off clothes at a General Store. The cool thing about traveling in an RV is that lunch is wherever you pull over. This is really starting to grow on me.

Berti hopped in the RV then, but hopped back out at the summit of the day’s last climb and dropped down into Torrey. Berti is from New Jersey and has found himself climbing more hills in the last few days than he has in the last two years put together. He’s starting to develop a little overuse injury in his knee with all the climbing. Rationing the vertical is what its all about for him now.

I was actually surprised at what a cute little town Torrey was and was feeling like I really needed to ride. My toe was starting to improve, so I saddled up and went for a spin. It was all good so long as I didn’t have to climb too much -- pressure on the foot was uncomfortable, but no longer painful. It actually hurt more when I took my shoe off.

I rode west and looped through this little town called Teasdale and then out east toward Capital Reef. The people in Teasdale were extremely friendly -- I felt like a movie star of something rolling through there. Everyone that I passed waved at me, gave me the peace sign and said hello whether from their front yards, driveways or even in their cars. It had such a comfortable feeling to it there. Capita Reef was pretty choice too -- all red rock, shake and cliff with vibrant green-leaved trees scattered about. I loved it.

Nothing like a good bike ride to make it all good again.

Torrey to Price, UT
When you’re on a road trip like this, simple things can become very big and exciting. As we headed west we came across an excellent grocery store in Loa. Yes, a grocery store. In most of the small towns we pass through, grocery stores are often not more than corner/general stores. Fresh produce and quality meats and seafood are not so easy to find. This store had real food! Fresh food! Mmmm... heavenly. ;-)

Heading out of town we took Hwy 72. What an excellent road that is! I was a little jealous of the guys. I wanted to be out there riding that road. It was gorgeous. I had to stop and snap off a couple photos. The timing was just right as well – I caught up with the guys just as they reached the summit for a quick group photo. Then it was off to Ferron for lunch.

Berti had taken the morning off so I left him with the RV and I took off for a ride. I headed north and was having a great ride at a great pace. Then I turned around smack into a stiff headwind. I love headwinds. Seriously. ;-) My toe is definitely on the mend, but I have yet to run again.

Price was kind of an interesting little town. Once all settled in, we spun easy over to the pool for a swim. I cooked up a nice salmon dinner but only Gordo stayed at the RV and ate with me. The rest of the guys wandered off to Wendy’s. Hmmm... It was another great day on the road full of laughs and goofiness.

Price, UT
We stayed put in Price so the guys could take a bit of a rest day. The “rest day” for Gordo, Chuckie and Gary was a nine-mile run and 30-mile ride. I think they went food optional on this one. ;-) I went out for a long ride. Price wasn’t tremendously exciting and I ended up doing circles on the outskirts. My toe was pretty good until about the three-hour mark and then it started throbbing. My six-hour ride got cut to a little over four hours.

When I was out riding circles, I came across a run-down old drive-in theater. The paint was peeling off its supports, the screen was graying and had a few holes in it, and the parking lot was overgrown with grass as tall as the speaker poles. It was a bit of a sad site, but it made me smile. It reminded me of a dear friend back in Vancouver I’d been out of touch with for a while. He had a thing for drive-ins and used to have me take photos of them on my road trips. I wish I had a camera on me then.

That night I managed to get a couple of the guys to do something non-tri and we walked into to town to see The Matrix Reloaded.

Price to Vernal, UT
I started the day off with a swim and Gary left our little crew as the rest headed out for Duchesne. You could see the snow-covered peaks of Colorado from there. Nice site.

Lunch was at Starvation Lake. There are a couple photos in the V2B gallery of it. It was a deserted oasis with the coolest vibe to it. Seemed to have quite an affect on the guys, too. Chuckie and Gordo were super goofy for the camera.

There was a bit of an “incident” on the road and a couple of the guys hopped in the RV for the rest of the ride to Vernal. Chuckie went for a long run -- a really long run -- and I went for a sunset spin through Smalltown, USA. Came across two more drive-ins today -- both were operational.

Vernal, UT to Craig, CO
I started the day off with a fantastic ride north of town. The guys were leaving just as I returned. The day wasn’t tremendously exciting -- we’re into Day 8 now and the guys are a little quiet. Still in good spirits and still full of entertaining stories, just a little quieter.

I tried my first run since the “tree” incident in Colorado River, and, success! I can run again! I had to ice my toe afterwards, but it’s all good. Oh yeah, it’s all good to be able to run again. Really makes you appreciate all this that we are able to do. We really are a lucky group.

As I was running I came across another run-down deserted drive-in theater. That’s four in three days -- I get the hint, Universe. It’s been a long time since my old friend and I had chatted. Guess the Universe was sending a message that it was time to touch base. Things are going great for him back home -- he has a new radio show and was doing some filming for a TV segment. Keeps my belief that good things happen to good people in tact.

Craig to Steamboat Springs, CO
Today was a great day start to finish. I started the day with a run in Craig and then when I arrived in Steamboat Springs headed out for a three-hour ride towards Hahn’s Peak. It was so incredibly gorgeous out there that I got all charged up and no problem at all doing my steady pace intervals. It actually turned into a more solid steady pace ride. Absolutely loved that ride -- so much so that I took note of every piece of property that was for sale.

After the ride I took a spin through town and decided Steamboat Springs was my new favourite place in Colorado.

It was a fairly quiet night back that the RV and Gordo had the road atlas out planning more training road trips. He’s thinking a six-week trek across the US would be a blast. I’d definitely have to agree.

Steamboat Springs, CO
We stayed put in Steamboat today so the guys could regroup a little. There was a lot of climbing ahead of them in the next couple of days. Chuckie went for a long run, Jay and Berti hung out around town and Gordo and I went to do a track session. I was doing another aerobic function test and even though it was about 30 degrees warmer and 3,000 feet higher than my last test, I managed to run a half mile further. I was pretty happy with that. I also tagged Gordo with a new nickname -- Track Candy.

For those not in the know, “Candy” started in Kona a couple years ago and Chad Hawker was the original candy boy. We had rented a house on the Ali’i Drive and our next door neighbour, Chad, would come over and tan on our lawn and use our laundry machine. Ally, Jo and I started calling him “Lawn Candy” and lunch on the lanai always seemed to be about the same time. ;-) Then it was decided in the Tri Lounge that men were Lawn Candy and women were Patio Candy. All in good fun and the candy names keep growing.

Early evening when the thunder storms cleared out we all headed down to the rec center for a swim in the outdoor pool and then a short weights session.

Steamboat Springs to Grand Lake, CO
Gordo headed out early to swim and then ride to Kremmling at his own steady pace. Chuckie, Jay and Berti headed out about an hour later to ride at a more mellow pace. I headed kicked off the day with a long trail run up the Spring Creek Trail. What an awesome run! A rushing river busting at its banks followed the trail, aspen trees were beginning to bloom and lush green grass stood tall at their roots. It was breathtaking and invigorating. I could do that run every day and never get tired of it. What

At the Kremmling lunch stop I had expected the Chuckie train to show up first, but it was Gordo. He was on fire and had not only caught up to but completely dropped the other guys. He staying long enough for a refuel and then booked it out of town. The rest of the guys arrived within the hour and made their stop quick. Chuckie and Jay took off -- as far as the coffee shop on the corner. ;-) Berti was pretty fried and called it a day there. His knee had become a real issue.

The drive/ride from there to Grand Lake was pretty fantastic, and this time we were in a “real” campsite. All the guys were close to the edge when the arrived, but they were a happy bunch.

Grand Lake to Boulder, CO
Great ending to this road trip. The guys climbed up over Trail Ridge and then did some bonus climbing up to Brainard Lake on the way back to Boulder. When I got the east entrance ranger station, I parked the RV and rode back up Trail Ridge. This was to be a challenge ride for me and Gordo said it would be harder than the Palomar ride I did a year or so ago.

What a fantastic climb that is! I kept expecting to get dizzy once I hit the “two miles above sea level” sign, but it never happened. I climbed a little over two hours and then turned for the wicked descent back down. Most awesome! It wasn’t nearly as hard as Palomar was. Guess I’m in better shape than I was then. When I told Gordo it wasn’t that challenging he got this evil gleam in his eye. Oh-oh, what’s he going to cook up for me now. ;-)

So that’s it. We’re back in Boulder again. The guys did some huge training and we all had a great time on the road. Next up, Epic Camp! :-)

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