Health by Heidi

 “How was it?”  My best friend was the first one to ask me that question.  I had just arrived at her house the day after the tour ended, and we were sitting outside in her yard.  I smiled at her question, memories of the tour fresh in my mind.  I took a deep breath, unsure where to begin.  I opened my mouth, and the stories came tumbling out.  For an hour I shared stories with her, and I had only begun. That same question has been asked many times since, and my answers always falter. “It was amazing!” “It was so much fun!” “It was wonderful!” “It was more than I ever hoped it would be!” Those answers are vanilla.  They don’t portray what the tour actually was, how it felt, how fully immersive and all-consuming it was.  How it felt to be baked by the sun in the flat lands, feeling like my skin was melting off my bones.  The teeth-jarring, undercarriage-wrecking gaps in the pavement on the way to the sand dunes.  The butter-smooth roa...

The final day of the tour.  I can’t believe it.  These past two weeks have gone incredibly fast.  Today, we went out with a bang.  We rode to the top of Pike’s Peak.  Allow me to share some stats: The road to the summit is 19 miles long.  In those 19 miles, there is a 7,000 foot elevation gain.  Average grade hovers at 9%, with a big chunk at 10-12%.  Most of the 10-12% grade comes above 10,000 feet.  The summit is just over 14,000 feet.   Most of the readers of this blog are familiar with Lost Trail Pass, so here’s a comparison.  Lost Trail Pass is seven miles long, with a 2,000 foot elevation gain.  Average grade is between 5-6%.  The summit is just over 7,000 feet.  That should put things in perspective.   The group was excited this morning.  We were all early to breakfast, early to the van to ride to the start.  We were ready.  We rolled out together and immediately hit an 11% grade.  Righ...

Crested Butte to Buena Vista  Remember those two guys I mentioned a few days ago?  I thought they were local pros out of Durango.  They flew past me on one of the passes like I going backward, while having a full conversation with each other as if they were sitting in a coffee shop.  Mark looked them up on Strava. He shared with us at breakfast this morning that they rode from Durango to Ouray and back, for 150 miles, 15,000 feet of climbing, and averaged 19 mph.  For comparison, we rode from Durango to Ouray.  The end. We did 84 miles, climbed 7,874 feet, and I averaged a whopping 12.5 mph.  When people ask, “Heidi, why don’t you become a pro cyclist?”, that’s why. As for today, it was one of the most perfect days of cycling I have ever had.  Light winds, mostly at our backs, perfect temperatures, gorgeous scenery, and a lovely climb that peaked at just over 12,000 feet, all made for an amazing day.   We left Crested Butte this morning with ...

  Today was another rest day.  I needed to get 43 easy miles.  “Easy miles” is relative here, since we are at 9,000 feet, and every road out of town goes either up or down.  Oh, and I started the day by riding with Fresh Legs.  We rode the bike path out of town, up past the ski area, and on to the gravel road to the town of Gothic.  Up and up and up went the road.  I felt really good.  At one point, Fresh Legs was actually drafting off of me.  Let me repeat that.  Fresh Legs was drafting off of me.  Fresh Legs.  Drafting.  Off of ME.  It doesn’t matter that it was only for about thirty feet up a super steep pitch.  It still counts.   We soon met up with Leslie and her friend.  They were all on mountain bikes, so when the road got rougher, they kept going and I turned around.  I did a bunch of out-and-back routes on all the side roads around town.  It was the perfect easy rest day ride.   ...

Paonia to Crested Butte Today started out in the best way possible.  I walked out of the hotel, and Desmond the kitty was hanging out in the grass.  I said, “Kitty kitty!” He came running!  I pet him for quite a while.  He purred and purred, then pranced happily around the group.  He helped Greg pack the trailer, posed for a few photos, then wished us a safe and pleasant journey. Today we had short miles and a long climb.  40 miles of climbing to be exact.  Leadout Leslie set a smooth pace as we left town and started grinding up the canyon.  I have ridden that particular canyon three times now, in both directions, and every time I have had a headwind.  The road gains elevation at an infuriating, false-flat grade.  Add a headwind to the equation and it becomes annoying.  16 miles Leslie pulled us along, up the frustrating grade, into the wind.  I was elated to see the turn to Kebler Pass and the van. The road turned to gravel sh...

  Camp V to Paonia Today was our last 100 mile day, and it started perfectly.  We rolled out of the hotel under high clouds.  The pavement was smooth, black butter, and there were no cars to be seen.  Fresh Legs jumped out in front, and I quickly hopped on his wheel.  We cruised down the road, losing elevation, and soon entered a land of giants. Towering cliffs, the colors of all the red crayons, supported the weight of the heavy sky, and offered a constant reminder of our insignificant impermanence.  Willows and cottonwoods clung to the river banks, while sage and juniper flung themselves across the red.  I watched the river wind sleepily in its banks, and couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been millions of years ago.  I pictured a torrent of water, hundreds of feet deep, with eddies the size of four football fields and rapids that could flip a cargo ship.  Every turn in the road brought another mesmerizing vista.  We pedaled d...

  Ouray to Camp V Today, by tour standards, was to be an easy 85 mile recovery ride.  We only had 3,500 feet of climbing.  We only had one pass to climb with a summit hovering at 9,000 feet.  The day was mostly trending downward in elevation.  It should have been an easy day.   It started out great.  Leadout Leslie took us down the canyon, flowing along easily under heavy clouds.  The climb came quickly, and as we started up, I spun easily.  I wanted to get as much recovery today as I could, because tomorrow is another big day.  Up the climb I went, feeling really good and convincing my legs to slow down and pedal softly.  The views of the peaks were stunning.  I reached the summit feeling great.   We dropped off the top, down into a gorgeous red canyon, following the river as it twisted and turned alongside the road.  There was a bit of a tailwind, and we cruised easily down the road.  I was having so much fun a...

  Durango to Ouray Once again, some housekeeping.  The third brother, Billy, joined us last night for the remainder of the tour.  We have also assigned everyone nicknames.  I already mentioned “Fresh Legs Greg” and Leadout Leslie.”  We also have “Turbo Tom,” “Magic Mark” (he used to be “Mellow Mark,” but today he appeared out of nowhere and blew past me on the last climb, so I revoked the “Mellow” status), “e-Bill,” “Acoustic Kurt,” “Jet-Engine Jim,” and me, “High-five Heidi,” (I like to high-five the roadside plants on long climbs).   Today was another monster.  84 miles, three mountain passes hovering around the 11,000 foot mark, and nearly 8,000 feet of climbing.  After my terrible start yesterday, I hoped today would be better, and it was.  Right out of the gate, I felt great.  I’m guessing it’s because we started at the low, oxygen-rich altitude of 6,600 feet.  I don’t know.  I don’t care.  All I know was I felt reall...

  Creede to Pagosa Springs  Day seven.  I can’t believe it’s already been one week.  The week has gone by unbelievably fast.  Every day has been more than I ever could have imagined.  The scenery, the roads, the company, the food, and, of course, getting to ride my bike for hours and hours each day, have all been spectacular.   I woke up this morning feeling really good.  That all changed when I got on my bike.  My legs felt like they were full of mud.  Pedaling felt awkward and clunky.  I shifted around, flexed and relaxed my feet, stood, sat, changed gears.  Nothing worked.  Thankfully, we had a long downhill to get started.  Lead out Leslie set a good pace, and we cruised along easily.  I hoped my legs would start to feel better. We stopped for snacks, stopped again for lunch, then started climbing.  Suddenly, my legs felt good.  They settled into a comfortable rhythm almost immediately.  The hi...

  Gunnison to Creede Statistically, today was a monster.  It was our biggest day yet, both in mileage and in elevation.  I woke up this morning both excited and a bit curious as to how the day would unfold.  The group was subdued at breakfast.  We all rolled out together, Greg at the front setting a brisk pace down the canyon.  We reached the reservoir in no time, made the turn, and soon started climbing.  At the base of the first climb, Greg pushed the pace.  The brothers drifted off the back.  Tom, Jim, and I clung to Greg’s wheel.   “Greg,” I called out from the back of the pace line.  “I have a new nickname for you.  Fresh Legs Greg.” “I ran ten miles yesterday and climbed 1,300 feet!” Greg shouted back. Tom: “We don’t care.” Jim: “I like it a lot better when Leslie does the lead out.”  Me: “Lead out Leslie!” Jim: “Greg, this nickname is gonna follow you all over Colorado.  Fresh Legs.” Greg: “Could be worse.” Tom...

  A few nights ago, I sat down and planned out exactly how many extra miles each day Tom and I need to get to reach 1,000 miles for the two weeks (Tom loved my idea of 1,000 miles so has happily, and sometimes unhappily, rode with me for all the extras).  We need to ride an average of ten extra miles each day on our scheduled ride days.  Tom had the idea of adding extra miles here and there throughout the day, so that’s what we’ve been doing.  He and I, along with Jim, usually reach the van stops first. Rather than waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, we grab some snacks and water, then turn around and ride back the way we came for a few miles.  When we see the other group members or get to our prescribed added mileage, we turn around and head back toward the van.  This method has been working really well.  Some days, the extra miles have been easy.  Other days, like yesterday, were miserable.  The whimsical, delightful tailwind down ...

  Moffat to Gunnison  I did not feel great this morning.  Yesterday, my stomach was upset all day.  It complained with any bit of food that I tried to make it digest, so I was not able to eat enough yesterday.  I woke up this morning feeling really tired.  On top of that, I had 100 miles to ride today.  I wasn’t sure how the day was going to go, and I didn’t allow myself to think about it too much.  What I did know was my stomach felt better.  I ate a big bowl of oatmeal for breakfast (made by Leslie, specifically because she knew I liked oatmeal, she’s the best!) and I immediately felt better.  I started to get excited for the day. Kurt opted to ride an e-bike today, which allowed us to roll out as a group.  Leslie and I lead the pack, and the road was flat and quiet.  We rode a double pace line all the way to Saguache, chatting easily and letting our legs spin themselves warm.   The town of Saguache prompted a discussion...

  Cuchara to Great Sand Dunes Today started how every day of cycling should start: with a downhill and a tailwind.  We zoomed down the road, sailing along effortlessly.  I watched my average speed climb steadily upward: 20 mph, then 25, then 28.  We were loving every second of it, all of us wearing big smiles on our faces.   Mother Nature and the fickle gods of cycling had other plans in store for us. As the road curved around to the west, we were smacked in the face by the fists of a horrendous headwind.  Our speed dropped from near 30 mph down to below 10 mph.  The road tilted slightly up, and the wind roared down upon us.  I knew there would be days like this, days where I have to grit my teeth and grind through the miles.  The headwind brought a lot of gritting and a lot of grinding.  All the kudos in the world go to Tom, who took a superhuman pull at the front of our small pace line, and lead us through the wind like a champion. ...

  Trinidad to Cuchara First, some housekeeping.  Last evening, Mark’s brother, Kurt, joined the group.  He got delayed in Dallas on his way to Colorado so joined the group a day late, and we were happy to have him along.  Also, the mileage on this tour, if we choose to ride EFI (every freaking inch), totals 869 miles.  I tentatively set a goal to get extra miles each day, hoping to ride 1,000 miles by the end of the two weeks.  Jim brought it up to the group last night at dinner.  Greg and Leslie fully supported my goal, and Tom thought it sounded like a fun thing to accomplish.  That settled that.  I’m shooting for 1,000 miles in two weeks. This morning started with a curve ball.  John, the owner of the company, suggested a slight variation in route.  He thought we should ride through downtown Trinidad to see the brick cobblestone streets.  Greg navigated us through the twists and turns of the vague directions while we enjoyed...

  Wet Mountains to Colorado City  This morning felt like a reunion. Tom and Greg were sitting together in the hotel lobby eating breakfast.  We exchanged greetings and picked up right where we left off, as if we had just seen each other last week instead of last year.  Leslie appeared, and we hugged and chatted.  Jim showed up soon after.  It felt like the old gang was back together again.  I laugh to think about it.  We only met last year, and we only spent one week together.  Yet, these people feel like good friends.  Mark was the new guy, and he blended into the group easily. We sat outside chatting, catching up on the past year, sharing stories, making plans for future tours.  The conversation flowed easily, and soon it was time to load up in the van and drive to our starting point.  We traveled south out of Colorado Springs and started climbing, winding our way up into the mountains.  After a while, Leslie pulled the ...

  I’ve had my eye on this bicycle tour for five years.  Two weeks, high altitude, nearly 1,000 miles, over 60,000 feet of climbing in Colorado’s high peaks, all by bicycle.  The Colorado Epic.  Sounds like a dream to me.   Last year, I did a one-week Colorado bike tour with a great group of cyclists, and had an outstanding time.  At the end of the week, I wanted more.  I knew I had to make the two-week tour happen.  I reached out to a few of my fellow cyclists from the one-week tour, and two of them, Tom and Jim, agreed to register for the two-week Epic.  We needed five for the company to make it a go.  I registered in October.  Jim and Tom quickly followed.  We needed two more.  I checked my email daily, hoping for the email confirmation from the company that the tour was a go.  I waited, checked, waited, checked again.   Finally, it came!  Tour is a GO!  July 2025.  Colorado Epic!  Let the t...