Training: Part 2

Boulder was our choice this year for our summer relocation. It is a prime cycling destination and has a well-regarded soaring club, micro-breweries galore, and all else that a large college town has to offer. We are fortunate that our house rental is in the midst of the best cycling the area offers, through the towns of Niwot, Hygiene, and Longmont. I quickly developed a few routes through gorgeous farming country with views out to Boulder and Long's Peak, the only 14'er in this part of the state.

Flatirons and Boulder from Niwot

Long's Peak from Hygiene



My typical route passes the Ryssby Church, named after a village in Sweden. Emigrees left Ryssby for the United States in the late 1860's and traveled west on the recently completed Transcontinental Railroad. Many established farms in what was then the Territory of Colorado. This church was constructed from stone quarried from one of the homesteads and was the center of the community for decades. It is set next to a pleasant stream with a footbridge leading to the church entrance.

The mid-point of my ride lands me smack dab in the middle of Hygiene, a hamlet that could be plucked down in the middle of Vermont and fit right in. Mary's Deli is the focal point, and the numerous shade trees and lawn furniture beckon those in the cycling community to take their rest stops here.

Our summer travels also took us to Salida for several days of soaring and cycling with the Collegiate Peaks as the scenery. It never gets old.

What the ladies do while the men soar

A few words about weather and cycling conditions are necessary. Boulder had record-setting high temperatures this summer with many, many 100 + degree days in June and temperatures in the 90's for most of July and August. June also had high winds and several devastating wildfires that created a constant thick haze. Combining these factors and the elevation of the area (~5400 ft.) resulted in some difficult cycling conditions. Perhaps it will have enhanced my training--I'll soon find out.

My bike mileage for this summer was 1,311. That brings the total training regimen to 4,492 miles in ten months. A concern is that I have not done many longer rides since arriving in Colorado. Those first few long days will be an adjustment, perhaps offset by the adrenaline that flows when starting such a trip.