Friday, July 06, 2007

Hoosier Pass

So, Coach Book told me to ride at a high aerobic intensity for 1 hour 35 minutes today. But what does it mean when your high aerobic intensity only nets you about 6 mph?


It means you're climbing Hoosier pass from the Breckenridge side.

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Starting at 9600 feet above sea level and traveling upward to 11,500 feet above sea level in the space of 10 miles.

Reaching the contintal divide on that steep, hairpin road is a lung searing event. The legs do not give out so much as the lungs.


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But as is as often the case, discomfort, effort, and value go hand in hand.

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I think we saw the mountains differently than the tourists waddling from their SUVs at the top of the climb.

They were photographed in front of the same sign we used for our background, but it can't have been the same.

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And descending at 35 to 40 mph on a bicycle around the hairpin switchbacks --- well, you can't really be that alive in an automobile.

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The rain chased us back down to the town. It doesn't have far to fall when you are riding in the sky.

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We arrived cold, shivering, and completely, fully alive.

3 comments:

Amy said...

Great job on the climbing! Climbing is my nemesis. We'll do the North Shore double if you get up here. Cypress is 800m in 12km and Seymour is a little harder. Sounds fun eh? But then it doesn't start 9600ft above sea level. More like 200m.

Jane said...

Would you quit making me so jealous!!
Absolutely gorgeous.

Fe-lady said...

Oh YEAH..."completely alive"...I love it!