Let's get serious on fundraising!!
Okay, I let is slack for that past few months. With the holidays and a fundraising started for Hank (fellow Loveland patroller that was injured last year on the hill), I felt it best to hold off for a little bit before I start begging! But I just realized it's Feb and the ride in is about 4 months. YIKES!!
So here I am. My first offical team meeting with Team Colorado is this Thursday night and I am really looking forward to meeting others in CO participating. Also hoping to learn some tricks of the trade from the veterans!
As for training, being winter in CO, biking has been limited. Below zero temps aren't really encouraging for training. Neither is ice on the road.
But skiing is!! So we are doing it CO style.
Over the past few months I have taken on backcountry skiing and randonee races. Randonee races are pretty much walking up the mountain with special skins on your skis and then skiing down....several times. It's awesome! Between skiing up my hill after sweep when I patrol and doing laps on Berthoud pass with friends, I have been able to keep in shape and enjoy some form of training. I did my first randonee race at Sunlight Mt (by Aspen) on Jan 16th, and I finished in a decent amount of time!! The big challenge for me will be the Wasatch Powderkeg in March. It is a randonee race in Utah that involves 6.6 miles, 4 hill climbs, and 3500ft of verticle... for the recreational division. My friend Shannon has signed up for the challenge as well, and it's going to be quite the challenge!! But I'm looking forward to it. I'm just aiming to finish. In the mean time, some friends and I are going to do a fun costume race on the 28th at Eldora Mt which is only 700ft verticle. Just for fun.
So there's an update for all of you. I appreciate any support you can give me and accept it in humble gratitude!
And plan on being around June 2 if you live nearby and come see us off!! It's suppposed to be a hell of a party! :)
Peace
Sue

by Susan Demars on Sun, Feb 07, 2010 @ 10:21 AM

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The training has begun!
I figured once I bought a nice road bike and it snowed, I'd be ready to train. Who would of thought we'd have snow here in mid Oct? But there you are. The earliest ski season in years! Yahoo!
But I haven't let that deter me from begining my training. I finally bought myself a great road bike with the help of a bike fanatic at work (thanks Greg!) and boy, I'm enjoying that bike! I bought a 2006 Wilier Evasion and it's the first road bike I've ever owned. It's so light and fast. I'm also finding it very comfortable on the longer rides I've been taking.
First ride I was able to take her on was about a beautiful, fall color 27 mile ride from Frisco up to Vail pass. This was a 1500+/- elevation thigh burner that I didn't complete in one continuous ride! Breaks were needed, but the payoff is a really fun coast all the way back to Frisco. Didn't realize how much uphill I had done until I rode down. Total fun!
Last week was the week I finally got serious and started training more local. Goal is to get out several time a week, El Nino allowing! I did 2 training rides last week.
First ride was the Evergreen Lake loop, and while it was only a 22mile ride, it has a little over 2000ft +/- elevation! It was luckily a beautiful fall day and most of the ride is lovely mountain roads with little traffic. I was caught by surprise though when I discovered one of the roads on the ride was dirt! I rode down this steep scree road on my skinny tires and it made for an interesting downhill. No carnage, but I came close! The end of this ride bikes through a neighborhood with absolutely stunning houses!! They were unbelievable!! What was even more unbelieveable were the heard of Elk that had seemed to invade Evergreen. They were everywhere and I had to be careful not to run into them on the road after the guy on the golfcourse tried to chase them off the fairway. All and all, a great ride!
My second ride this week was with a bunch of friend from patrol around the lovely area of Lakewood/Morrison. We did about a 20-25 mile ride that was relatively flat, but went through one area that was overrun with prairie dogs! It was like moving speedbumps. They are awefully cute though. We ended the day by having lunch in Morrison. I happily rode my full belly home.
So now the snow has really started to fall and I have to put my outdoor training on hold. I have started cross training with running, and skining on my skis when snow allows, to get me in shape. I am also entering in several Randonee races over the winter that should help with my stamina and training.
But so far so good! Thanks everyone for the continued support and we'll see you on the road... :)
Sue

by Susan Demars on Thu, Oct 22, 2009 @ 2:33 AM

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