7/18/09

Escape from the Louisiana Heat



2009 Trip to Colorado

Last year, it was a couple of weeks. This year, it's 4 weeks, and not a moment too soon. we have had record highs in louisiana and the ability to effectively train high miles in those conditions just doesn't exist. I have noticed a huge effect on my speed and recovery ability through June - Slow and Long - and realized, I needed to get the hell out of there for a while and get some work done. Heat is one thing. Humidity is something else. and record highs with a drought and high humidity (go figure that one out??) and the morning heat index before the sun rises is in the 90's...and the pools so hot that swimming 2k is all you can do in slow motion because the water temp is 86 or 88....day after day...well, it's tougher than i am. I had to go. Now I realize why all the pro's live in Colorado :-) I never said I was smart ...hehehe

Day 3

I'm starting on day three because day 1 and 2 were driving days and they were pretty boring to say the least. The highlight of the drive was having books on cd from the library, so I got to listen to a really good book by John Grisham, then some smutty piece by some lady author I've never heard of. It's better than a soap opera! I'm not finished it yet, so every time i drive somewhere, i get a little more smut :-)

I was greeted by Salty and Theresa and the bucky and the casey and all the house cats one could want. I immediately unloaded the car in the mid day sun (and I would like to add I did NOT even break a sweat doing that !) ans popped my bike on the stand for a good cleaning. boy did she need a bath. nice and shiny now. it was a laid back evening after a nice swim in the cool water if an indoor pool at the club right by the house. i swam 4k like it was no problem - not once feeling like a slug in mud. it was awesome!

This morning I slept in...something i rarely get to do at home always needing to be up by 4 or 5am. I got up at about 7, and mozied downstairs to catch the start of the Tour and get my things together for my first ride in Colorado. I was a bit weary of it since i live in the altitude of, well, ZERO, and now I am at over 5,ooo - but I have been here before, so I figured I would survive it is I was conservative. The catch was that I have not been riding too many hills back home (that would have required a 3 hr drive round trip - that would be TIME, and a lot of gas $$, both of which I just don't have these days)
So I braved my first solo ride through Horsetooth Canyon, and made my way towards Rist Canyon, but turned around at about 6,400 as the climbing and the thinner air were spiking my HR so high, I was wondering if I would recover to not only finish the long ride, but to be able to train tomorrow too :-) plus, I was alone, and I didn't want to get into any trouble out there in no mans land.
I made it 82 miles, and feel pretty darn good. When I got home, I got to see the end of the Stage today and saw Hincappe almost make it yellow. bummer. I will hit the pool later for a recovery swim of about 3k, then eat a good dinner and see how I feel.
Not a bad day 1 so far. Did I mention the weather? oh, man, it's nice. even when it's hot, it's not :-)

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