Breck part 2

Monday I did an impromptu trip up to Breck so that I could do a little more riding up high. I still feel slightly out of breath in Colorado Springs, but I wanted to get that really dizzy feeling again in Breck...cuz it feels so great!

My friend Jill drove over from Fort Collins to pick me up and we made the rest of the drive in a thunderstorm. Luckily it cleared up shortly after we arrived. My initial goal was to ride the first climb of the Breck 100 course, but our directions were pretty vague. I think it would have been better if we had a local with us, because they would have recognized the points of interest on the directions. But oh well. We managed to find a random climb to do anyways...which is not hard to do in Breck:-)

Jill climbing...
and climbing some more...

I only had to ride for 1.5 hours easy, so we went at a pace where we could talk for the most part. I didn't have my power tap on and I felt like I was riding naked-though it was kind of nice not having to look at the low numbers. Finally we reached snow.

Snow in July!!!! The only time I like it!!!

Jill showing off her brand-spanking-new-to-her bike. When I say new, I mean new. It was like 5 days old.

The next day I had to do another really easy 1.5 hours with a few intervals thrown in, so we hit the rail trail. Ok, at this point I would like to point out how kick butt my friends are out here. First of all, Juli rode day after day with me last week, so that we could follow my training plan. Second of all, Jill drove all the way to Breck with me, just to do intervals on a rail trail. I'm really lucky to have such great friends-who just so happen to live in a really great state :-)

Anyways, back to the intervals. They were level 3, but I had to do them by perceived exertion. My first 2 intervals went well, but my last one was kind of "iffy." A female roadie passed by us just as I was starting, and turned into my rabbit. Half-way through my interval I realized that I had one eye closed, the other was watering, and I was breathing like an elephant. Definitely time to slow down!

Jill breaking away on the rail trail
So freaking pretty....and it was cool to see so many people out riding!
We had to stop and ride this little pump track...

On our way back to Colorado Springs, we stopped at an ice cream shop in Idaho Springs. I have to admit that I don't eat ice cream that often (I have other vices in the form of grande vanilla double-shot lattes), but this was no ordinary ice cream. It's all made from scratch with no preservatives, and I think they might also sneak a little crack in it as well. Because it was amazing. Amazing!!! While I was eating a little voice in the back of my head kept asking, "should you really be eating this when you have to climb up a freaking mountain?" and another voice was like, "absolutely...this will make you faster going down!" ha ha! Seriously though, if you are ever in Idaho Springs-you must stop!

Now I'm back in Colorado Springs. Tomorrow is going to be a really easy day of spinning and resting and then Juli and I are heading back to Breck Thursday afternoon.

Did I mention that I love it here? :-)