Slipping Into Vacation Mode

Melissa and I are off to go camping with friends for a couple days at a lake over by Grand Junction.  She just called and her flight from LAX is just getting ready to leave.   It's going to be a relaxing weekend not a lot of training.  Mostly just goofing off.  I haven't had a goof off weekend really since my late birthday party in Denver at the end of March.  It's been awhile.

It has been sort of a big week.  Monday after running with my friend Jeff who finished his first 50 miler the day before was a light and easy ride to loosen up. It sucked.  For starters I was tired and there was a lot of internal dialogue going on inside my head about the rest of the summer. Fortunately I was able to figure some things out and get myself back on course.

Tuesday was an awesome ride. I did a St. Kevins, Sugarloaf, Powerlines back to camp ride both outbound and inbound. St. Kevins is still hard and that ride over to Carter Summit just seems to take forever on the outbound.  On the inbound it is much easier but still seems to take some time.  I got caught in a hail storm on my second loop about 2/3rds the way up the Powerline side of Sugarloaf.  The great thing about that is that when it was done the traction the rest of the way up was phenomenal.  47 miles or so, over 8K in gain that day.

Wednesday I was feeling it though.  Rode a bit over an out, hill intervals. Not a lot of joy that day.  Once my ride was over I broke camp which took forever and headed back to Aspen.  I can not say just how happy I have been being home.  After camping in Leadville for nearly 30 days this summer I can appreciate all of the little modern conveniences of home a bit more.  I will probably pop back over to Leadville between now and the 100 bike two to three times to ride or run on specific sections of the course but for the most part I will be here in Aspen. 

Thursday it was back to running.  Jeff and I ran six miles over his lunch break and I then went and did another six.  I had work and class that night but when it was over I went and ran a few more miles in the dark and that was a blast.  Even tired and in the dark I was able to make my usuall split up Smuggler road.

The bike is now a project.  My friend Chris who works at Aspen Velo now has it and is coming up with a plan to drop some serious weight off of it.  In the end I hope to get my full suspension Trek as light or lighter than my hard tail.

But for now I am just looking forward to the weekend.  No real training focus, hang out with friends and get out of my own head some. 

We have a solid plan now pretty much for doing the Four Pass Loop next weekend.  That will be a fun day and I am super excited for that.  It is probably my last big running day before everything starts.  I can't get my brain around the fact yet that the 100 bike is only three weeks away.