Sunday, August 4, 2013

Dedication

Leadville - July 24th

With terrible stomach pain and perhaps some type of food allergy my final night in Aspen became very unpleasant. Between a head ache and struggling to keep food down I had a difficult time getting any sleep. In the morning I drank about a half gallon of water and tried to take a nap. After getting some rest I took some Tylenol and mulled over some plain toast. I was feeling unmotivated and sluggish but I tried to stay focus on my preparation. I had the goal of cycling out of Aspen and reaching Leadville today and in order to insure that would happen I knew that I needed to be mentally prepared and physically ready. So I packed my gear and proceeded with my regular routine of active stretching. Not trying to force anything but staying motivated and seeing what my body could handle. Slowly but surely I got ready to go and I was able to go for a short warm up ride without feeling ill. Finally I got a solid meal down and I felt like I was back to normal. Which was good news because I had one of my most difficult rides still waiting for me. Today was the day I would climb over 12,000 ft and cycle past Independence Pass. It was a daunting challenge but I felt confident in my abilities and I though of how far I had come to reach this point. I cycled everyday. It rained, I was tired, I was hungry, and most importantly I continued on through all of it. Independence pass was very slow going and it took about 3 hours to cover 19 miles and reach the summit. It was a windy road with a seemingly constant elevation but I stayed focused on the moment and kept turning the petals. I was relieved to finally the top and I felt like I had become and actual cyclist. After all if I could cycle over the continental divide and through the Rockies I could cycle anywhere. 

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