Day Eleven: July 22nd, 2010 (Route Frisco, CO to Waldon, CO)

Day Eleven: July 22nd, 2010 (Route Frisco, CO to Waldon, CO)

Technical Data

Distance, miles: 106.12
Ride Time: 6:52:58
Work, kJ: 3718
Average Power, watts: 148
Normalized Power, watts: 182
Average Speed, mph: 15.23

Today was a little different as I woke, cold and wanting some warmth! I headed to the Starbucks I mentioned in yesterday's post and caught up on the writing I failed to do the day before. Kinda funny how work will always be there if you forget! As this is my job for the next "X" amount of days it is imparitive I stay on what I have set out to do...

Note* - a gentlemen at Starbucks, owns a shirt company that produces cycling T-Shirts mentioned right outside that I won a T-Shirt - I'm holding it to him and once I get to wi fi I'm looking up the contact information as I could use a cycling shirt!

Rolling out of the Starbucks I planned on heading to North on highway 9. On to the pavement and two cyclist a little younger were out for a training ride. What a beautiful place to train - surrounded by mountians and a crystal flat lake...more terrain then you could ask for and a giant ice bath right in the middle! Can someone say perfect for training...I really wish I was on a training ride today to throw in some intervals as all this endurance/recovery zone riding is starting to get to me, just want to switch it up a little! I let them pass me then on the down hill I went right by them as BoB adds a little weight to the downhill and I had to just smile! Nothing like flying by a couple younger cyclist on a bike with a trailer...

I was a little confused navigating in Frisco as the map appears to be a long ways away, when in reality my turn was just a few blocks. After stopping at a filling station to check the map I wasn't too far off, I stopped soon as I really didn't want to get that much out of the way. Once I found the turn I was headed down hill and loving it as the body could use a little recovery after yesterday's climbing. First stop was Kremmling - a small town on the way to Steamboat where I filled for gas about a year ago. The ride was rolling and mostly downhill with no passes to cross. The blue river was on my right and scenic, very scenic to be honest. Many fly fishermen wading out into the river trying to capture some of those beautiul rainbows and browns my friend Stephen catches on a normal basis in Colorado. Past a few camp grounds I had stayed at in the past with a few friends and really enjoying the ride. The peaks to the West were so majestic today - little to majestic for words even.

The cloud cover on these peaks was were the beauty was today. The sky was full of clouds and rain as I would run into a nice 30-45 minute shower out on hwy 40 headed to SteamBoat. I cruised into Kremmling with no problem this morning and it reminded me of Beuna Vista as you roll right into a neighborhood when entering the town. I pulled into c-store and refilled my water and downed a couple bottles while I was there, went to the bathroom and snagged a handful of honey that was near the tea. I like to use the honey like a gu shot while out there on the road for some quick energy if I find myself fading.

Outside the c-store I grabbed the map to check where I was headed as I was near Estes and wanted to see if I could make it over to see Stephen, even though I thought it would be too much climbing after a day like yesterday and it would put me a little out off my route so I called him and let him know I would be in Waldon, CO tonight if he had time to drive up and visit. No worries if we didn't catch each other this time around as we will see each other soon! I sat and collected my thoughts, donned some sunscreen and had a few gu's and one of the bars Jan gave me. The bars were a nice treat as they had a little bit of chocolate (I love me some chocolate) and it was nice to have something to chew on. I have been downing Sustained Energy and Gu's during the rides and nothing really solid as I don't do well with solids when riding at higher intensity's, however at this pace everything should be okay!

Talked with a lot of the folks going in and out of the c-store and there appeared to be alot of campers/hikers headed towards SteamBoat. Then I was off and heading towards SteamBoat myself - I had another 27 miles or so until the junction where I would take a right and head towards Waldon. This section I would get rained on and it was nice to ride in the rain, I actually enjoy it if the rain is not too cold and after the last couple weeks of riding it was truly resfreshing! Thoughts were pretty much all over the place today, the downhill allowed for a lot of this as didn't have to work too hard on these sections, you can tell from the kJ I didn't work near as hard the last couple of days. Burning under 4K in kJ for a 100 mile is good for me, it just tells me I was utilizing the terrain to my advantage...

Thoughts that come to mind today - the first thought that came to mind today is what is going to happen when all of this is over? Will I get a job or go to school or will there be another large adventure I will go on? One thought that did come to mind was how all of this should end, I was thinking that the only way to end this journey would be with my neices! Madi just got a bike and that would be the perfect ending to a perfect journey. The last mile or 1/2 mile with Madi at my side and little Emmy sitting in BoB if Mom and Dad approve. Then celebrate with a little ice cream as I know the girls like ice cream! lol Since I'm not married or have someone to welcome me home sharing my journey with those two little girls would be ideal, I would love to have Captain there too of course! (she can bring her bike too!)

Finding it hard to think of what I was thinking on the ride after riding so many days in a row. Brain food on this trip is hard to come by on the budget I have laid out. Another thought that came to mind today was quiting. Not quiting myself just those in life that have quit or given up on themselves because they just found "life" to be so hard. After having a conversation with a good friend of mine on Monday, one that I have not spoken to in years I've had this topic on my mind ever since. Both he and I have gone through some battles of the mind that have put us in the gutter where we have experienced thoughts of suicide and other depressing like thoughts. I have been battling with these thoughts for a long time, I think ever since I was 14 years old, I would always blame it on heridity as my grandfather committed suicide, and this affected my father.

I know that many people have gone through these types of things in there life, some are even on drugs to help with the issues, however I choose not to seek my help through the means of drugs (prescription drugs). I believe that we all experience highs and lows or as I like to call it, peaks and valleys. I'm a very positive person, however I can have my lows. I like to counter these with "up drafts". When we fall into the valley we have the choice whether or not we have our hang-glider on to catch one of those updraftas to take us back up to the peak. Let me explain - when your on the peak nothing appears to stop you from acheiveing everything you want in life, however things can trip us up or push us off the peak. These things can be anything, we all have them it just depends on what you allow to get to you.

Once off the ledge of the peak you have the choice to fall or put yourself in an "up draft" - "up drafts" can be anything that makes you land back on the peak. Take me for an example, when I'm down I tend to isolate myself which is not a good thing for me, one might think then what the hell are you doing a cross country trip solo for! Well when I made this trip I was so strapped to the peak I'm not worried about falling off and missing an updraft! I make sure I'm in my updrafts when I'm down by playing with my nieces, playing with my dog AJ, spending time with friends and family as they always pick me up and put me back on the peak, sometimes it takes a little longer then it should but I always get back to where I belong! The peak where I can be me...

The moral of my analogy is that we all need an updraft everyonce in a while to keep us functioning at out best! There will come a time when you need help in life and don't be afraid to accept it when it presents itself! It's part of being God's family - we are here for each other when we need each other. Take my "Captain" for example - she just took an exam the other day and I sent her an "up draft" (pick me up) and she responded with "I needed that" - I had no idea what she was going through at the time but I sent it because I was thinking it at that moment in time - again back to my machine that lets others now that your thinking of them! Very important...

Back to my ride - I was heading up to the junction and was thinking "How" much further as I was starting to mentally break today, I knew it would happen eventually as I have never done something like this before and taking my physicality to the point of unknown is exciting for me as I know this will build fitness for the future! Climbing Muddy Pass which was only a 2 mile climb something was off, either nutrition or hydration, however it could be residual fatigue. Only two I can get a grasp on right now is nutrition and hydration as the fatigue can only be reduced through tons of sleep! So I put a few more honey packs in my system and down some water. Once up the climb I was at a cross roads with only a half of bottle of water. 35 miles to Waldon and I was thinking on this much water - this isn't going to happen, there better be a farm house near!

Then a truck pulling a 5th wheel pulls in and two gals get out to get in the camper for some food, I kindly ask for some water and score! Two full bottles of water and a banana! Double Score!!! Now since I had been riding into a head wind all day, it was time to catch a tail wind! The first 11 miles were flying!!! That wind had to been blowing 35 mph, it was the front of a storm as it was raining behind me and coming in quick, it was like I was surfing! Staying ahead of the wind and boy was I flying - the mental block had left me and I was having fun!

This leads me to another thougth on quiting! The thought that working through the rough patches in life need to happen as on the otherside is a lot of positive! I have rough spots in races all the time, but it doesn't take me too long to just work through it and more on! Very similar to life, though I have been known to be a slow learner on some topics, however I'm getting better as my patience is improving. On some of these big climbs i have done I just keep fighting even though the body is aching and the mind is saying what are you doing? The heart is stronger then anything, even the mind in my thoughts. With heart you can do anything...

Quiting was not an option and is never an option unless I am putting myself or others in danger! The same concepts can be used in daily life if you know how to approach situations correctly! :)

With less than 25 miles to go I was having some tough mental periods as I think I was a little low on fuel however I would just have to wait until the energy would come around!

Out of the saddle, dancing on my small lollipop pedals, sun high in the sky. Feel the left peddle drop, then the right. Sweat accumulating on my jersey, jersey pocket sticky mess of gu wrappers. Bull dozer to my right, prepping the land for a home, a business. Wind blowing 15-25 mph directly into my face, do I quit, do I rest? No I must press on - work is not through for the day and I must put in a good days worth of work everyone else in the world is...

Rolling into Waldon was great as I stopped at the second filling station I saw and downed 2 bottles and washed up in the bathroom. Refilled my bottles, then grapped some salt and sugar, along with asking the clerk for some matches. The auto ignite on the camp stove went out two nights ago and now I was relying on matches to start the burner...score though as all this was free! (Is anything free? - The answer is "No" - I'm trained in the art of Economics)

Rolling out of the the filling station I was headed to the library when I saw three rigs (bikes with trailers or paniers) parked outside the ice cream parlor. Now they have it figured out! Nothing like a lot of sugar and fat to replenish from a hard day of riding! I stopped in to see who it was, it was the four riders that last logged into the Church log in Sheridan Lake that was a day ahead of me. After talking with them, found out the guy was from Wichita - small world isn't it! He even bought me an ice cream!!! I told him where I started and that I was trying to make the journey on less then $500 so I guess maybe he felt bad or something, but I'm not going to turn away an Ice Cream!

I should have gotten there names!!!

Off to the park for me as I needed to eat and shave! I know why shave on this trip, well I brough my kit and I'm going to use it so I don't have to carry it anymore I thought...Park is in an ideal spot - look to the East and huge mountain range, look to the West and guess what - a huge mountain range! I keep thinking as I sit here how nice it must be to live in the mountains, even in the winter as snow mobiling sounds like a blast! Dwon some instant potatoes, make a few phone calls and do my normal routine - unload Bob, throw away any unneccessary trash and reorganize. This allows me to keep track of what I have and what I need...prep for tomorrow and get to blogging!

Tomorrow's a nice ride on the rolling terrain of WY and into Rawlings - I hope to get an earlier start in the AM as I now have my blog finished and about to load BoB's belly and catch some sleep before I get to do this fantastic job all over again! I wouldn't trade this adventure for anything, well if the right lady came along I might just have to go see about a girl...