Tom picked me up Wednesday and, after a humorous lunch in some kitschy mountain deli (we were the only ones in the place and I swear I could have made six sandwiches in the time this guy made two), we arrived in Breckenridge.
I had been fretting the arrival at high altitude for some time and now was the time to give it a test. We went for a short one hour ride and at first I was feeling surprisingly good - then I realized we had been ever so slightly descending. As the trail pitched up for a small climb, my lungs immediately said "what the hell are you doing?" Tom had sent me a text a few weeks ago (just a reminder - Tom decided to embrace his inner dirt-bag and took a summer sabbatical) saying "Wait until you ride at altitude. Time actually slows down." I remember thinking - wtf? - but quickly dismissed it. Now as I struggled to move I felt my brain slow down and my thought process was definitely off. Yeah.....OK smart ass........more off than normal. Anyway, I was longing for the thick air of sea level, so I clicked my ruby red heels together.......
and this is what happened:
Amazing*, but not exactly what I had in mind.
Yesterday, we went for a longer and more ambitious ride. Today we rode 27 miles with 2,700 feet of climbing, including one long 3 mile climb that was rocky and rooty and rose 1,300 feet, topping out at 11,300 feet. The descending was nothing short of too much fun.
So........just like I did back in the day after shooting a beer on the first chair lift ride of a ski outing......I declare myself ready.
*for those not "in the know" I grew up in Kenosha.
No comments:
Post a Comment