but it's a DRY heat

As our final training days wrap up and the trip comes into focus on the calendar, I think God is starting to tempt us with the promise of crisp mountain air of the San Juan Mountains.  It seems like only a few weeks ago that we were looking for reasons to stay out on the flats rather than abuse our legs on 5- to 12-percent grades in the foothills.  Now, the mountains beckon whenever we leave the house.  And, while our legs are definitely getting to the point that a sustained grade is something we can do and still hold a brief conversation, I think the real reason for our quest for elevation is the searing heat we're desperately trying to escape down in Boulder. 

Yesterday, Manny, Suz, Kel and I rolled out of the driveway a little after 7:30 to make a final run up to Ward.  We hit Jay Road in the middle of the Boulder Peak Triathlon, so as we spun our way toward the foothills, were were passed by an endless stream of aero bikes and speedos. (Not scenery for the faint of heart, mind you).  The temperature was already bumping up on 90 as we started our climb up Lee Hill Road.  By the time we dropped back down to Lefthand Canyon we were weaving across the road looking for patches of shade.  Since I sweat like a lawn sprinkler, I grabbed a seat at the back of the pace bus and tried to stay on someone's wheel. As we neared Ward, I peeled off next to a new beaver pond to find some shade and soak my head while the others ground their way on up to Ward proper.  

As I sat under a large pine tree, marveling at how much a single beaver had accomplished in exfoliation and tunnel craft, I thought about the difference between a training ride and a vacation ride. The former had become a damn-the-torpedoes march toward an objective on the map. A test of stamina, patience, etiquette, equipment and food-portaging ability.  And, here I was, failing, while the others soldiered on.  Then I thought about the true elements of a vacation ride, where the objective is to taste the local color, see the scenery, relax, and stop to smell the beavers, if you will.  And I realized that maybe this was the training ride I needed most.  A last-minute reminder that, while we have many miles to travel, and many passes to crest, the truly memorable experiences will also include the times we'll have out of the saddle. Of course, when it's a dry and sunny 78 degrees and the views of snow capped peaks cover the horizon in every direction, that should be our easiest objective yet.