It took me 4 ultras and around 5 years to realize that running just isn’t for me anymore. So I spent the rest of the summer of 2021 searching for a road bike. Not the most ideal time in history to be browsing the used bike market, but I wasn’t really in much of a hurry. One day after casually scrolling through Craigslist, I found a fleet of Lemonds on sale up in Loveland. At first, I thought it was a scam given there were so many available under $1,000. But I decided to give it a shot and made the voyage up north to check out a few in my size. I’ve always rode Treks growing up so I figured Lemond would ride similar. Plus they are classics with some sex appeal. The outfitter was “I Know a Guy Bicycles” and he runs his refurbished bike shop out of his garage. I tested out a 2006 Lemond “Alpe d’huez” and it fit like a glove so to speak. To be honest, I didn’t have much to compare to at the time, as I had been riding a steel REI urban commuter I had bought 10 years before, so I didn’t have anywhere to go but up. Keep reading…
For the past several years I’ve been working through a progression of mountain races, from marathon distance up to 100K, with the long-term goal in mind of giving a 100-miler a shot. And I figured if I were to invest all the time and effort necessary to run a 100-miler, I might as well pick a really cool one, even if it meant having to wait a few years to get in. Turns out I didn’t have to look very far from home, nor was it all that difficult to land on the High Lonesome 100 in the southern-Sawatch range. Keep reading…
Late-June in Colorado. With the spring snowpack all but melted out, green landscapes blanketing much of the state, and our days just barely starting to get shorter again, it was time to head down to Lake City for another run at the San Juan Solstice 50 this past Saturday. The SJS is about as time-honored a race as you’ll find in Colorado. This was the event’s 24th year and I’ve now been fortunate enough to participate the last four times it’s been held. Keep reading…
This past Friday I headed up to Blackhawk to run in the 13th annual Golden Gate Dirty 30, a tough 50K race in Golden Gate Canyon State Park that makes for a perfect spring training tune-up and excuse to dive from ski season into running season. It was my 5th time running the race, which made for a cool milestone and came along with a special bib and “5 year finisher” embroidered jacket. Megan’s attention to small details like these is what makes Dirty 30 a great race and one that’s easy to return to year after year.
It was a good day out there for me. Snow season in the Vail Valley ended awhile ago below 10,000 ft so I was able to log several long runs with decent vert heading into race day. Each year the course seems to get slightly easier too, mentally if not physically as well. The weather was also nearly perfect this go around, even for 8am starters, as things stayed nice and cool in contrast to the 80 degree heat of the past few years. Keep reading…
