...would you rather wake up to this
or some sidewalk cafe on your second espresso reading the newspaper Sunday morning? Okay, both are fine actually but I chose the former this morning. Hez-Billy my colleague and general homeslice got me addicted to the Mayhem Gulch + full loop out at this wonderful trailhead/open space called Centennial Cone. Been a while since I've posted anything blog worthy. Work and being a Dad's pretty hardcore time wise; but like anything else it's balance Daniel-san.
The ride was great! Been running nowadays though. Shifting disciplines. Running's a highly concentrated form of pain that physiologically for me equals hours on a bike. Getting ready to run a 10k at altitude. Gotta get my running gait on! Gotta stay busy so when ski season rolls around I'll be doing my imitation of an Asian Johnny Moseley (minus the dinner roll and Olympic caliber mogul runs). I rode with my iPod. There's nothing like riding something as picturesque as Centennial Cone at 8:00 in the morning and the weather's barely 60°F (16°C) and when you hit (shuffle) play and the first song on the batter's deck's the Who's 5:15 (I love it when Roger Daltrey sings, Quiet stormwater, M-m-my generation). Audio-visual Christmas! I am fired up and climb Mayhem Gulch in the middle ring standing whenever the ups get a tad busy. It starts at 6500' (1981 m) and tops out at 7560' (2304 m) but in between there's a lot of sawtooth climbing (and descending) so you probably climb 1500' (457 m) or so whenever everything's said and done. Here's the parking lot from my perspective after being inspired by the Who. That's Clear Creek running parallel to the road. Back in the day, people used to pan for gold down thar.
I'm getting nearer the the top. Nobody out on the trail 'cept me singing my arse off not giving a crappizzle about people hearing (like I said, ain't nobody out here).
Part of the singletrack skirts the rim/cone of centennial park.
It's simple: stay towards the mountain...
The day before, Team M went down to Pueblo for my daughter's soccer game. It was 99° F in the shade! Thank goodness for altitude and beautiful Colorado Sundays.
Brian Greene's a proponent of the multiverse theory and for me it's a reality. Working's a reality (I'd rather not do it honestly but it keeps me honest and accustomed to a certain quality of living), being a bike racer's a reality (although my arse gets handed to me come race day), being a hillbilly's a reality (preparing firewood for winter and a certain proficiency in snow removal in Winter's at 9000 feet), being a parent and husband's another reality too. What I'm trying to say is my multiverse theory's a reality for me, each needing my collection of sub-atomic particles arranged in physical, chemical laws to react producing a reality that calls for attention (albeit being a father and husband has to take precedence over bike riding but my sweet Melissa might differ from that!). I ride to fulfill that persona in my cycling universe. It's not escapism but a reality. Overall, it's not that bad.
2 comments:
I am glad it was The Who. John Denver would have been too much of a cliche.
Good luck with the new school year!
Thanks Jeff! You should be a contributing editor to Lonely Planet Guidebooks! You and Mika take a boatload of pics and we'll see it next time at Allison's. Stay safe.
Post a Comment