Last Ride

Today was the last "official" training ride of the 2007 race season before I leave for a month of racing in Europe and end the season with the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. Realizing it was going to be the last big ride in Boulder for a long time, I wanted to make it special; go new places and experience new things. I'd had enough of the "normal" rides.

I searched my "route bible" and came up with a route that would take care of everything. It was a new road I had never ridden, it ended up in Nederland so I could finally buy one of the famous Co-op muffins and would provide me with some tough climbing.

Although Coach Frank was putting me in the pain cave and I was suffering like a dog, it was a memorable ride and it helped me remember what the beauty of cycling is all about. Below are some of the highlights:

Cycling is-
-The beauty of the open road and going new places (Colorado 72)
-Meeting great people (the super nice couple in Pinecliffe who filled my water bottles)
-Seeing new things (a motorcycle high siding and crashing into the guard rail right in front of me. They were ok but mine and I'm sure their adrenaline was pumping pretty hard afterward)
-Experiencing new things (a famous Ned Co-op muffin; strawberry/chocolate chip. YUMMY!)
-The wind at your back and feeling like superman (I felt like that today??)
-The feeling at the end of ride of being completely exhausted and cooked yet knowing how much you accomplished and the feeling of self pride that follows (then rewarding yourself with ice cream and cookies)

Cycling is wonderful!!