We decided to take a
short 6 day trip out to Colorado, mainly because we had signed up to do the
Triple Bypass ride, a 120-mile cycling event through the mountains. I thought
the trip would be fun and a good training opportunity prior to IM Lake Placid
but I didn't give it too much thought beyond that. It is safe to say the trip
FAR exceeded my expectations! Being in such a beautiful place, seeing God's amazing creation everywhere you turn, is so amazing and inspiring. We can't wait to return!
Day 1-- Arrived in CO
We left DC around 4am
and arrived at our accommodations- which included picking up the rental car,
picking up our packets for the ride, and driving 2.5 hours- all by noon. The
Triple Bypass Ride is a point-to-point 120 mile ride starting from Evergreen, CO
(close to Denver) to Avon, CO (in the mountains close to ski areas such as
Vail) so we decided to stay out in the mountains near Avon a the Beaver Creek
ski resort. The resort offered to shuttle riders and their bikes to the start
(2 hours away) if you booked there, so given that we had a group of 5 and could
get a good deal on a condo since it's summertime and a ski resort, we were in!
The condo turned out to be AMAZING- totally far surpassing our expectations!
Rustic lodge-style decor with a gigantic stone fireplace and lots of space. The
balcony overlooked the base of the chairlift and mountain- with spectacular
trail running along the mountainside right outside our door, great cycling
everywhere, an outdoor lap pool and jacuzzis, as well as firepits (with
marshmallows and toasting sticks provided). Plus, the weather was PERFECT- at
about 8,500ft, it was a high of 72 degrees every day with no humidity- and it
actually got a bit chilly at night in the 50s! (Before that, I couldn't
remember the last time I felt cold!)
With all the things to
do and see (and bikes to put together and have serviced) and meals to be eaten,
we didn't even get in any training the first day. However, we made up for that
on day 2!
Day 2- the Triple Bypass
Ride
We got up at 3:45 to
catch the 4:30am shuttle to the ride start. This was a full size bus with only
6 of us and our bikes on it. Since there was so much space, we had plenty of
time to eat, drink coffee, get our gear situated during the shuttle ride. We
arrived to the ride start around 6:30 and were on our bikes before 7.
I figured the ride would
be scenic, but the mountain views were STUNNING pretty much the entire way.
This was by far the most scenic ride I've ever done. The ride included about
10,000 feet of climbing, but since the altitude varies from 7,000 to 12,000
feet, it seemed harder than that. This would be my 2nd time riding my new road
bike (my first time riding or owning a road bike in 5 years!) but things worked
out pretty well other than needing to adjust the seatpost height a few times.
The ride is aptly named
traveling over three mountain passes. I kept my hearteate in the
Ironman-to-tempo zone most of the ride, but my breathing was so heavy on the
climbs (due to the altitude) that I felt like a newbie athlete! Chris didn't
seem to have any trouble so he set the pace for me all day- I just tried to
stay with him.
The last 26 miles are
literally ALL downhill heading down some pretty awesomely scenic descents. That
was a nice treat at the end of the ride.
All in all, we ended up
spending 8 hours on the bike, plus a little 20 minute transition run after for
good measure. we were exhausted by the end of the day- good thing we just had
to head up the hill from the ride finish line, into the pool and hot tub!
We ended the day with a
great dinner at the outdoor restaurant at the Ritz right outside our condo.
They even put the heat lamps on for us since we were a bit chilly :-)
Day 3- Trail Run!
I had a longish run on
the schedule for Sunday so we headed out our doorstep onto the mountainside
trail that runs between the various mountain villages of Beaver Creek. This was
one of THE most gorgeous runs I have ever done, running through aspen groves,
past beautiful wildflowers and ferns, alongside exposed mountain slopes, with
amazing full views of the valley below and mountains around. I could have run
on that trail all day. I mentioned this to Chris and he looked a bit worried
that I might actually be serious :-)
In the afternoon we
grabbed lunch and headed to a huge art festival that featured lots of different
types of artists- my favorites were the photographers who captured the amazing
Colorado landscapes.
Toward dusk, we took a
long evening hike from the condo. We saw lots of wildlife and the most beautiful
sunset I had ever seen!
We ended the day by
making a tasty dinner of grilled salmon, roasted potatoes, and grilled veggies
on the grill on our balcony.
Day 4- Recovery Day!
We started the day with
an easy morning recovery trail run through a beautiful mountainside trail with
amazing wildflowers.
Later in the day, we did
our first swim in the outdoor pool, but were thwarted by a passing thunderstorm
and were kicked out of the pool. We took the opportunity to explore the spa at
the Ritz Carlton where we had been swimming, which was free for guests. Since
we had been told we could use the amenities at the Ritz, we assumed this also
meant the spa too and had a great time! I tried the cold plunge, aromatherapy
steam room, and grotto, and loved that they provided snacks and hot teas in the
lounge. We finished up our swim a little later J
Day 5- Brick Workout
I had a long brick
workout to do this day so we headed out on a great cycling course (same one as
the upcoming US Pro Challenge) with lots of long climbs and little traffic. We
even passed a ranch with a bunch of Alpacas! We then headed out for a trail run
with intervals along the mountainside trail. We had switched condos since it
was just Chris and I at this point and didn't need a three bedroom condo, and
since we were at a bit lower elevation at this point, the trail run up the
mountain to get to the running trails was about 2 miles now, at a fairly steep
grade. But it was worth it once we got up there. Interval work on this trail
was so much fun!! When we got back, we iced our legs in the mountain creek
right outside the condo. Then we had a great, tasty dinner outdoors at the
restaurant next door that overlooks the mountains.
Day 6- Headed home
We finished up our last
day with a morning outdoor swim and drive back to the airport. We can't wait to
go back, and already have plans for another training camp next summer, if
anyone wants to join us!!
Next on the schedule is
Ironman Lake Placid, this Sunday July 28th!
