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September 28, 2009

140 Miles = A Twentury?

Layersofelevation

From Pagosa Springs, I set off on the ugliest stage of the trip. The route to Taos laid out 140 miles and over 11,000 feet of climbing to a summit of 11,200 feet. One stretch in particular promised 9 miles with a grade of 7-9%. Put simply, ugh.

I started out at first light and quickly discovered I was under-dressed. My legs were numb and the climb out of Pagosa was such a slog I kept checking to see if my tires were flat. By lunch at mile 45, I had finally warmed up and was ready to bring my A game. Which, is good. Because, the road demanded nothing less.

Chrisatcontidivide

The climb started strong, and as it progressed, I felt more and more capable of making it happen. So, when the summit finally appeared, I was nothing short of elated. I scarfed a sandwich, snapped a pic of the breathtaking autumn vista, and set off on the downhill.

The pitch down was steep enough that most of it flew by at 35-45 mph. My 12 ring in back wasn't enough to keep up, so I just crouched and let the road take me to terminal velocity. There is little I enjoy as much as descending. Fast. Wow.

Twentury

The final haul into Taos was undoubtedly a drag. Once I had cleared 110 miles, while my body was hanging in there, my mind was ready to check out. I mean, how long can a guy sit on that damn seat? I was making good time and the weather was holding up, but man, was I ready to be doing something else. So, I just kept turning 'em over and ultimately pulled into the resort at El Monte Sagrado excited for a day off. Back to back chocolate milkshakes, and 15 minutes later I was in bed for the night. At 7:30.

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Thanks to...

  • Hincapie Sportswear
    Legendary cyclist George Hincapie and his brother Rich made so many amazing original kits for my journey including the first ever charity:water and Twitter jerseys! Stay tuned as I give you a chance to get your own.
  • Trek Bikes
    After years of riding Felt, and following some serious ball-busting from Lance, I finally gave in and bought a Trek Madone 6.9. Holy cow is this a hot bike. That said, I broke it in a freak occurrence and, I am glad to say, Trek stood by their equipment and I am back on my ride, good as new.
  • Trek Travel
    Without the love and support of the Trek Travel guides, I would still be trying to find my way out of Santa Barbara. This company is top-notch and only staffs trips with the most experienced and consistently friendly people. I feel lucky to be traveling with them.
  • Spotify
    No music service in the world comes close to what Spotify delivers. Viritually every song imaginable whenever you want to hear it. Uniquely awesome. (And, they are big helpers of charity:water!) The service is coming to the US soon so keep your eyes peeled.
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  • charity:water
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  • Architecture for Humanity
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  • LIVESTRONG
    Lance Armstrong is a friend, a mentor, and is a testament to sheer will and work ethic. He is a big reason I am out here. Plus, he's declared war on cancer. Let's help him.
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    A non-partisan group working their asses off to ensure fair media and universal access to communication. I love these guys.
  • RoadID
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