| First-time Rockies Participants Enjoy Success | ||
| Training Schedule Routes Pictures In Route Rockies |
Perhaps it was the
training. Perhaps it was the sage advice of the seven of us that
have completed Ride the Rockies in the past. More likely, however,
it was their own personal fortitude that enabled the three first timers
in our group to have such an enjoyable ride.
David at just 14 years old was amazing. It's difficult to comprehend just how long the climbs are or get used to the idea that it will take nearly four hours to go twenty miles. It was an act of sure will that kept the pedals turning at the end of a long climb. His ability to tune out the sage advice of the veterans may have also helped a little. Pat's steady and sure approach to the climbs was only surpassed by her brilliant downhill technique. Her ability to tuck while maintaining an excellent view of the road ahead afforded her several safe and speedy descents. At the bottom of one hill near State Bridge, she was heard exclaiming, "holy crap, holy crap, that was fun!" Wendy's fitness and preparation really showed during Ride the Rockies. She looked very comfortable climbing the steep sections of the hills. She would also be impossible to chase down at the beginning of day three. It's clear that we have learned a lot about training for Ride the
Rockies over the years as well as a few new things from the firsters.
We plan out our training schedule with the goal of attaining about 1,000
miles of road riding. The schedule
includes at least one weekend ride, increasing the distance each
week. We keep an online log
of our training miles so that we can share rides, routes, and to use as
a reference for next year. This year a few of us used spinning
classes to supplement the road riding. The training benefit of
these classes appears to be very significant.
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