Home

After eleven days up in Leadville we are home.  Camping was a lot of fun but there were some irritants along the way that really sucked the fun out of it at times.

1.  The wind.  The first several days the wind was horrendous up and around camp.  Added to the fact that it was so dry, and I mean DRY and dusty, everything was just permeated with dirt. The wind was a constant 10-20  mph with gusts and it was constant.  We were so glad when it went way on Wednesday and Thursday.

2.  Other campers.  People who obviously don't understand the term "fire ban.".  We called the sheriff's office twice to report fires.

3.  Other campers... again... some jackasses came in and set up about 200 yards from us Saturday night and were partying and cranking the music till 2:00 am...  It is a good thing that I only had my five shot .357 with me because if I had something with a higher capacity magazine I would have just gone over, sprayed the camp, and went to sleep and not one fuck would have been given.  Of course nobody could have heard the multiple reports over the fricking music.  And of course of all the nights I  really needed to sleep it was Saturday night.  Hopefully there will be less bullshit in our new camp. 

Really that tops it for the crappy parts.

The good parts... showers at the Hostel... Six bucks for Melissa and I to use them.  Best money spent in Leadville for the trip and though camp showers and washing up the creek is okay every couple of days or so it was nice to be able to go and really get cleaned up and shave, etc.

Best milkshakes EVER!  I tried to have one each day post workout if I could.  As my exhaustion increased by weeks end they became the virtual carrot to get me through.

Riding and running with other people.  I can't say how much I enjoyed this.  After months of not getting to train with anyone really it was awesome to be connect with other Leadman contenders and forming our little family (or support group as it were) and sharing ideas and encouragement.  If I walk away from Leadman at the end with ANYTHING it will be that sense of camaraderie that I will treasure most of all.

Stars... nothing I love more than walking at night up in the high country looking at the stars.  I guess it brings the kid out in me.

Melissa's camp cooking... I didn't lose a pound up there and it wasn't just the milkshakes!  We ate very, very well.

Finally just having a solid marathon up there and then a great training week.  Totals for the week are 18 hours of training.  (Not including the Marathon of course.) 128 miles on the bike with 18,382 feet of elevation gain.  Only 20 miles of running with 3,00 feet of elevation gain but the run was a solid one with Brandon Fuller from Twin Lakes to the base of the Power Lines with a split of 3:16.  Now if I could just do that same split on August 17th - 18th, I'd be a rock star.

Glad to be home and getting refitted and retooled.  Mostly unpacked.  Laundry is about all done.  We moved camp and left stuff up there (it is being watched) so when we go up Thursday after work we have to take up a lot less and 95% of camp is already setup.  Biggest thing to do this week is to chill and get the bike ready for Saturday.

 This was my first camping trip without Roxy and I have to say that I missed her the entire time.  I would often imagine her laying in her bed in the tent under her down comforter she would sleep with when we went camping, just rusting around and getting comfortable.  Or her watching me as I would roam around camp keeping a watchful eye on me and every move I would make.  Sometimes it is just hard to realize, accept or grasp, whatever that she just isn't coming back.  She loved camping and playing in the water so I definitely felt her absence the entire trip,  I am so thankful that Asia was with us.  She is still figuring out the entire camping thing and it is fun to watch her as she explores and learns the ropes.  We let her get on the bed in the tent the last night and and she practically slept on me the entire time.  That kind of memory can't be replaced.

Roxy... the original camp dog.