Bill Training on Mount Charleston
I’m ready! …well, I think maybe, kind of ….
This will be my last post before I head to France for my Etape du Tour ride on July 18th. June has been an incredible month in terms of my training. I was fortunate enough to be able to train on some very significant mountain climbs:
- In June, I took a break from keynote speaking and trained on Mount Charleston in Las Vegas. Did you know there was a ski resort 30 minutes north of the Vegas strip? Neither did I. The road leading up to the ski resort starts at 3000 feet above sea level and in mid June, it was 102 degrees at 9:30 in the morning. The road then climbs for 17 miles and 5000 feet up to an elevation of 8000 feet, where there is still snow on the ground. There is a 40 degree temperature difference. It was a very hard climb that took me 2 ½ hours. Then I did it the next day from the other side!
- In late June, I was in Tucson training on Mount Lemmon, which is famous in cycling circles as a ride that Lance Armstrong does. I can see why – it’s 6000 feet of climbing (again to a ski resort) over 25 miles. And it’s straight up the entire way. I couldn’t make it to the top on the first day – I got too tired, ran out of water, and was really hot because it was 108 degrees when I started at 10 in the morning! The next day I started out determined to make it. I got on the road at 7:30 (it was a cool 93 degrees) and brought lots of water. After 4 hours of climbing, with lots of breaks in between, I made it!
- The next day in Tucson I climbed a very steep Kitt Peak up to an observatory. Only 12 miles, but much steeper than Mt. Lemmon.
- I also did a couple of 100 miles rides on flatter roads in Chicago during June.
What I learned from these rides is that I can accomplish a lot when I am very determined and properly prepared, AND that the ride on July 18 is going to be incredibly hard. The stage is 100 miles and there are 3 mountain climbs equivalent to what I did on separate days in Las Vegas and Tucson, but all in one day!
From here my training tapers down until the ride on the 18th, so I’ve done the hard part in terms of preparation. I just have to make sure I don’t put back on any of the 25 pounds I lost now that I am not burning so many calories in a week.
It doesn’t matter if I finish the ride as the real value in this for me has been the journey – getting back in shape, the amazing rides I’ve had in the mountains, and the excitement of having a big goal to work toward. Once again, I have to thank my wife and my family for being so supportive – the travelling and longs rides take me away from them.
Ok, I think I’m ready for the ride ….I’ll send an update after the ride.
