I know we're not in Boulder anymore but I've been working on this one for a while. And hey, a girl can dream can't she?
Any cyclist will tell you that the biking in Boulder is awesome. But when we first got here, that was all we knew. Like many sports in Colorado, there are so many awesome options that it's hard to get specific suggestions when you ask people for good routes. Here are a few of our favorites. For consistency's sake they all start from the corner of Baseline and Broadway and you can assume that for the vast majority of each ride you will have a bike lane/wide shoulder and relatively minimal traffic (car, that is).
Flat Rides
1. Neva Road Loop
2. Baseline Loop
3. Hygiene Loop
This is a nice, relatively flat longer ride around the Boulder area. It rolls through farmland north of Boulder with great views of the flatirons and foothills. At the turn onto 75th (around mile 18) you can instead go left and you will immediately find yourself in the charming little town of Hygiene.
Climbs:
4. Ward
This is something like the must do climb in Boulder. The first time that we did it, we did the first route shown below as an out and back. We had camped in Meadow Park in Lyons the night before. (The campsite was great. Right on the St. Vrain river, real bathrooms, and low altitude so it was great for early summer camping when the mountains were still cold and snowy). This climb is 25 miles completely uphill and took us about 3 hrs. When we got to the top, we ate our weight in cheesy pizza and desert at the first restaurant we saw (and I'm pretty sure the only one in town) before enjoying a beautiful 45 minute pedal-less descent down the way we had come. (I couldn't believe all the beautiful scenery I had missed while cursing the pavement on the way up.)
Another way to get to Ward is up Lefthand Canyon Drive. This route is shorter and more convenient when you're leaving from Boulder. The road ends at a cute little general store where you can buy snacks and drinks to refuel for the not nearly as strenuous descent.
5. Jamestown
If you start up Lefthand with dreams of Ward but 20 minutes later decide that today may not be the day to realize that dream, take a right on James Canyon Drive and head up to Jamestown instead. If you get there before 2:00, you can even stop in town for a home-cooked breakfast. If you get there after 2:00, you absolutely cannot. There is one restaurant in this "town" and we found out when we got there at 2:15 that it stops serving at 2:00.
6. Flagstaff
Flagstaff is also a must-do Boulder climb, although not nearly as much of a time commitment as a climb to Ward is, this one is short but very steep. The whole thing only takes 45 minutes to an hour and can be done before work as a quick but intense morning workout. You can take a right at Flagstaff Summit Road and continue till the end if you want to add a little more mileage.
Epic (coming soon)
8. Tour de cute towns (Just a little all day ride that Michelle and I cooked up. Mostly an excuse to eat 5 meals in a day)
9. Carter Lake
10. Mt. Evans
Showing posts with label triathlon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label triathlon. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Destination Race: Steamboat Sprint Triathlon
While I love Boulder, one of the best aspects of living here is the [relatively] close proximity to other awesome places. Some of the "relatively" clost places we've explored this summer include Rocky Mountain National Park, Pike National Forest, and Buena Vista. Last weekend involved a slightly longer trip with a more defined purpose.
Steamboat Springs is roughly 200 miles away, so I was expecting a long drive to the first annual Steamboat Lake Sprint Triathlon, but a truck on fire on the westbound side of I-70 along with a motorcycle accident on the eastbound side made for a hellish drive out over the Loveland Pass. I was just starting to think that there was no way a 4+ hour drive could be worth it for a sprint tri when we got off the highway and onto route 9 in Silverthorne. The next hundred miles were absolutely stunning. If you have to drive for hours on end, that's the kind of driving you want to be doing.
The race wasn't until Sunday morning so it wasn't really a problem that we got there late, except that I was supposed to volunteer at packet pickup and get a discount on the race, but completely missed it. Luckily, Lance, the Without Limits Productions race director, is a super nice guy and still gave me a little bit of a discount even though I totally missed my assignment.
After packet pickup, we set up our things at the campsite - we
stayed at the Sunrise Vista Campground at Steamboat Lake State Park. All the sites were in this beautiful field of yellow and purple flowers and overlooked the lake and the mountains. I've camped in some pretty beautiful places, but I'd say this was top-five.
For our pre-race dinner, we headed back down south towards the town of Steamboat Springs and Elisa's parents met us at a little italian restaurant, Pisa, and treated us to the all-you-can-eat pasta, pizza, and salad Saturday night special. It was delicious, and although the atmosphere was...unique...it was the perfect carbo-load before the race.
We spent the night getting all of our race stuff ready and built a nice warm fire. Sitting around the campsite with a bunch of laid-back triathletes really set the tone for the whole race for me; I was not here to win or PR or prove anything. This year, summer racing is about having fun. If it isn't fun, it isn't worth signing up for. With that in mind, I can't think of a better location or group of people to be with. When we finally went to bed around 10:30, the stars were absolutely stunning (and I've seem some good starry skies this summer) and early in the night, without the brightness of the moon, the Milky Way was totally visible across the sky.
I slept very well in my new tent, but around 4am I woke up and realized I was getting cold. Considering it's been in the 90's in Boulder, I was really surprised that I could possibly be camping somewhere driving-distance away, in the end of July, and be cold. I guess that's Colorado for ya. When I woke up at 6:15 and got out of the tent, there was frost on the picnic table - I wasn't being a wimp after all, it really was cold.
However, after a lei
surely pre-race breakfast (of my usual clif bar and banana) we had just a short 1-mile bike ride downhill to the transition area. By the time we got there, the morning cold had worn off and the air temperature was a pleasant mid-60's (the water, a near perfect 69F). We got there will plenty of time for a good long warmup in the transition area's laid-back atmosphere. I was clearly not the only person who had come to simply having a good time and enjoy the scenery.
The race ended up being a really well-run, generally awesome event. Being surrounded by mountains and overlooking the lake even made the hilly bike course kind of enjoyable. And after a long steep hill in the first mile of the run, the course descended down a single track trail through a beautiful field of flowers right along the lake.
Elisa came in 3rd overall, so I ended up 1st in the F20-24 age group, and Katie snagged 3rd! We got sweet plaques and awesome belt buckles that came later that week in the mail! The post-race spread was awesome, and I would sign up for this event, or any event put on by Without Limits, again in a heartbeat. I am so disappointed I can't be in Colorado for the Olympic distance race they're putting on in Steamboat at the end of August.
Katie headed off to Snowmass and Vail for the week while I spent the day with the six others who were going back to Boulder. The rest of the day involved yummy lunch at Johnny B Good's in Steamboat Springs, a stop at the Green Mountain Reservoir for the incredibly mature boys to "commandeer an island," a trip to the Nike outlet in Silverthorne that was taxing for my wallet, and another painfully slow ride on I-70.
To cap off an already awesome day, we went to a cookout at Rob and Rudy's house. As I was going home, the reality sunk in that I only have three short weeks left here, and that I am leaving behind so much more than the city of Boulder. Going back to LA will mean leaving all the awesome friends I've made here, the weekend camping trips, the backyard cookouts, the Wednesday night frisbee games, the 6am swims. I know that when I leave, I'll be counting down the days until my visit in November, and will be constantly trying to bribe CU people into visiting me in California (come on, you can ride outside in December...and January...and February...). For right now, though, I am more than ready to live it up for these last couple of weeks and get everything I possible can out of Boulder!
Steamboat Springs is roughly 200 miles away, so I was expecting a long drive to the first annual Steamboat Lake Sprint Triathlon, but a truck on fire on the westbound side of I-70 along with a motorcycle accident on the eastbound side made for a hellish drive out over the Loveland Pass. I was just starting to think that there was no way a 4+ hour drive could be worth it for a sprint tri when we got off the highway and onto route 9 in Silverthorne. The next hundred miles were absolutely stunning. If you have to drive for hours on end, that's the kind of driving you want to be doing.
The race wasn't until Sunday morning so it wasn't really a problem that we got there late, except that I was supposed to volunteer at packet pickup and get a discount on the race, but completely missed it. Luckily, Lance, the Without Limits Productions race director, is a super nice guy and still gave me a little bit of a discount even though I totally missed my assignment.
After packet pickup, we set up our things at the campsite - we
stayed at the Sunrise Vista Campground at Steamboat Lake State Park. All the sites were in this beautiful field of yellow and purple flowers and overlooked the lake and the mountains. I've camped in some pretty beautiful places, but I'd say this was top-five.For our pre-race dinner, we headed back down south towards the town of Steamboat Springs and Elisa's parents met us at a little italian restaurant, Pisa, and treated us to the all-you-can-eat pasta, pizza, and salad Saturday night special. It was delicious, and although the atmosphere was...unique...it was the perfect carbo-load before the race.
We spent the night getting all of our race stuff ready and built a nice warm fire. Sitting around the campsite with a bunch of laid-back triathletes really set the tone for the whole race for me; I was not here to win or PR or prove anything. This year, summer racing is about having fun. If it isn't fun, it isn't worth signing up for. With that in mind, I can't think of a better location or group of people to be with. When we finally went to bed around 10:30, the stars were absolutely stunning (and I've seem some good starry skies this summer) and early in the night, without the brightness of the moon, the Milky Way was totally visible across the sky.
I slept very well in my new tent, but around 4am I woke up and realized I was getting cold. Considering it's been in the 90's in Boulder, I was really surprised that I could possibly be camping somewhere driving-distance away, in the end of July, and be cold. I guess that's Colorado for ya. When I woke up at 6:15 and got out of the tent, there was frost on the picnic table - I wasn't being a wimp after all, it really was cold.
However, after a lei
surely pre-race breakfast (of my usual clif bar and banana) we had just a short 1-mile bike ride downhill to the transition area. By the time we got there, the morning cold had worn off and the air temperature was a pleasant mid-60's (the water, a near perfect 69F). We got there will plenty of time for a good long warmup in the transition area's laid-back atmosphere. I was clearly not the only person who had come to simply having a good time and enjoy the scenery.
The race ended up being a really well-run, generally awesome event. Being surrounded by mountains and overlooking the lake even made the hilly bike course kind of enjoyable. And after a long steep hill in the first mile of the run, the course descended down a single track trail through a beautiful field of flowers right along the lake.
Elisa came in 3rd overall, so I ended up 1st in the F20-24 age group, and Katie snagged 3rd! We got sweet plaques and awesome belt buckles that came later that week in the mail! The post-race spread was awesome, and I would sign up for this event, or any event put on by Without Limits, again in a heartbeat. I am so disappointed I can't be in Colorado for the Olympic distance race they're putting on in Steamboat at the end of August.
Katie headed off to Snowmass and Vail for the week while I spent the day with the six others who were going back to Boulder. The rest of the day involved yummy lunch at Johnny B Good's in Steamboat Springs, a stop at the Green Mountain Reservoir for the incredibly mature boys to "commandeer an island," a trip to the Nike outlet in Silverthorne that was taxing for my wallet, and another painfully slow ride on I-70.
To cap off an already awesome day, we went to a cookout at Rob and Rudy's house. As I was going home, the reality sunk in that I only have three short weeks left here, and that I am leaving behind so much more than the city of Boulder. Going back to LA will mean leaving all the awesome friends I've made here, the weekend camping trips, the backyard cookouts, the Wednesday night frisbee games, the 6am swims. I know that when I leave, I'll be counting down the days until my visit in November, and will be constantly trying to bribe CU people into visiting me in California (come on, you can ride outside in December...and January...and February...). For right now, though, I am more than ready to live it up for these last couple of weeks and get everything I possible can out of Boulder!
Monday, July 25, 2011
What to do in Boulder after work
This is the first entry in our series entitled "What to do in Boulder if..."
At the beginning of the summer, I found myself living for the weekends. I counted down the hours of work left until noon on Friday, when I got to leave the office and set off on the next weekend adventure. Having two days and two nights of complete freedom more than made up for having to work during the week, but by Monday afternoon I found myself already dying for the weekend to come.
Luckily, it turns out that there are plenty of cool things to do in Boulder in the evening:
1. Hiking the Flatirons
What: Sunset Hike up the Flatirons
Where: Chautauqua Park (at Baseline and 9th)
When: Leave an hour and a half or two hours (if you're slow) before sunset
The details: From Chautauqua Park, hike toward the first Flatiron, we usually take Ski Jump trail and then Bluebell-Baird, but you really just walk toward the big rock mountains in front of you and then follow the "1st/2nd Flatiron" signs. It will take about an hour to get to the best viewing spot so make sure you give yourself enough time. Follow the trail until it winds you around to the back of the first Flatiron. You'll see Indian Peaks Wilderness to your left, Flagstaff right in front of you, Longs Peak in the distance, and a really nice panorama of the Front Range stretching out to your right. It's worth it to climb up on the rocks a little so that you can see over the trees. And unless you brought your headlamp, make sure you leave in time so that you're not hiking down in the pitch dark.
At the beginning of the summer, I found myself living for the weekends. I counted down the hours of work left until noon on Friday, when I got to leave the office and set off on the next weekend adventure. Having two days and two nights of complete freedom more than made up for having to work during the week, but by Monday afternoon I found myself already dying for the weekend to come.
Luckily, it turns out that there are plenty of cool things to do in Boulder in the evening:
1. Hiking the Flatirons
What: Sunset Hike up the Flatirons
Where: Chautauqua Park (at Baseline and 9th)
When: Leave an hour and a half or two hours (if you're slow) before sunset
The details: From Chautauqua Park, hike toward the first Flatiron, we usually take Ski Jump trail and then Bluebell-Baird, but you really just walk toward the big rock mountains in front of you and then follow the "1st/2nd Flatiron" signs. It will take about an hour to get to the best viewing spot so make sure you give yourself enough time. Follow the trail until it winds you around to the back of the first Flatiron. You'll see Indian Peaks Wilderness to your left, Flagstaff right in front of you, Longs Peak in the distance, and a really nice panorama of the Front Range stretching out to your right. It's worth it to climb up on the rocks a little so that you can see over the trees. And unless you brought your headlamp, make sure you leave in time so that you're not hiking down in the pitch dark.
 |
| Climb up on the rocks a little at the 1st Flatiron to get a better view |
2. Stroke and Stride
What: Stroke and Stride is a weekly racing underground hosted, chip-timed, open water swim (750 m or 1500 m) followed by a 5k run. You can also do just the 5k if you're more of a land animal.
Who: If you're of the multisport persuasion, this event is a must. If you are not, it is still lots of fun and a very cheap and laid back way to consider getting into the sport. Participants range from highly competitive triathletes to out-of-shape moms (not to make a generalization about maternal fitness levels, a lot of Boulder moms could probably kick my ass in any race) and middle school kids.
When: Thursday evenings throughout the summer. The first wave of swimmers starts at 6:00 pm so try to get there between 5:30-5:45.
Where: The Boulder Reservoir. (very easy to get to from downtown by bike or car, google it)
How much: It is $25 for a one time entry and this gets cheaper if you purchase a series package.
What to expect: Most people will use wetsuits but there are also a fair amount who don't. Free samples (vitamins, energy bars, lotions, etc.), free massages, good music, and free pizza and refreshments after the race! (note: you may consider driving to this event and loitering around for a long time afterward, because in the event that all the pizza is not eaten, the organizer will let you take a whole large home! dinner...or breakfast...for a week!)
3. Farmer's Market
What: A twice-per-week, local farmers market with lots of food to buy and often some form of entertainment.
When: Wednesday evenings from 4pm-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm.
Where: 13th street between Arapahoe and Canyon, right next to central park. (You'll find it by following the Boulder Creek path toward the center of town, or if you know where the amphitheater is)
What to Expect: Tons of local farmers, bakeries, and health food companies selling their goods from tents along 13th street. If you make more than an intern's salary, buy local! If not, no worries, there are tons of free samples! There is also a whole section of delicious prepared foods for you to buy lunch or dinner at. Check it out, I guarantee you won't be able to decide.
What: Stroke and Stride is a weekly racing underground hosted, chip-timed, open water swim (750 m or 1500 m) followed by a 5k run. You can also do just the 5k if you're more of a land animal.
Who: If you're of the multisport persuasion, this event is a must. If you are not, it is still lots of fun and a very cheap and laid back way to consider getting into the sport. Participants range from highly competitive triathletes to out-of-shape moms (not to make a generalization about maternal fitness levels, a lot of Boulder moms could probably kick my ass in any race) and middle school kids.
When: Thursday evenings throughout the summer. The first wave of swimmers starts at 6:00 pm so try to get there between 5:30-5:45.
Where: The Boulder Reservoir. (very easy to get to from downtown by bike or car, google it)
How much: It is $25 for a one time entry and this gets cheaper if you purchase a series package.
What to expect: Most people will use wetsuits but there are also a fair amount who don't. Free samples (vitamins, energy bars, lotions, etc.), free massages, good music, and free pizza and refreshments after the race! (note: you may consider driving to this event and loitering around for a long time afterward, because in the event that all the pizza is not eaten, the organizer will let you take a whole large home! dinner...or breakfast...for a week!)
3. Farmer's Market
What: A twice-per-week, local farmers market with lots of food to buy and often some form of entertainment.
When: Wednesday evenings from 4pm-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-2pm.
Where: 13th street between Arapahoe and Canyon, right next to central park. (You'll find it by following the Boulder Creek path toward the center of town, or if you know where the amphitheater is)
What to Expect: Tons of local farmers, bakeries, and health food companies selling their goods from tents along 13th street. If you make more than an intern's salary, buy local! If not, no worries, there are tons of free samples! There is also a whole section of delicious prepared foods for you to buy lunch or dinner at. Check it out, I guarantee you won't be able to decide.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Conception of "The Minivan Plan"
Over the years, the two of us have shared some pretty unique (and some might say ridiculous) ideas. They are all coming together next summer in "The Minivan Plan".
Ever since Michelle started thinking about purchasing her own car, she's had mini-vans on the mind. Here is why:
Throughout the summer we had been discussing a road trip next summer that would go from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon and would allow us to check off many sites from our must see list (including, hopefully, Alaska). With that in mind, here is a recent Gchat conversation we had while not doing work at our respective offices:
Michelle: clearly backpacking needs to be our lifestyle.
next summer, we live from a tent (actually serious)
Katie: agreed
especially because I will have no money
and we will def know enough people to be able to go inside once in a while
Michelle: oh yeah, for sure!
Katie: and we could even buy a membership to scott carpenter* or something so we could shower there and swim whenever we want.
Michelle: yeah, good plan
okay so pros:
get skinny
see the stars every night
spend no money
show Paul** the love he deserves
develop deep appreciation for nature
Katie: learn to live on very few belongings
Michelle: maybe learn to hunt
Katie: YES
Michelle: cons:
become "that girl"
Katie: that could be a pro
Michelle: that's why we're friends
Katie: cons: probably decrease chances of finding a boyfriend
but increase chances of falling in love with a mountain man
or a bear.
we could definitely rent a storage unit to keep our bikes in and stuff
although if we had our van...
YES
Michelle: omg omg omgo mg
yes
minivan
Katie: this is happening, and it is happening with a new tricked out minivan
Michelle: omgomgoeruithpc23481*&#^&#
Katie: i know!
i am freaking otu
And THAT, is the story of the day The Minivan Plan was conceived. More on maps and details later.
* Scott Carpenter is a local outdoor pool in Boulder
**Paul is our hatchet
Ever since Michelle started thinking about purchasing her own car, she's had mini-vans on the mind. Here is why:
- They get much better gas mileage than SUVs but can hold the same amount (especially once you get rid of those pesky kids in the back)
- For reasons that we have yet to fathom, they seem to have gone out of style and can thus be purchased at very low cost.
- With total removal of the backseats, the possibilities for duel camper van/ triathlon equipment storage unit are endless.
- The sliding doors make for a precision instrument of speed and aerodynamics that evoke feelings in others that they themselves don't understand (example: the swagger wagon)
- The front seat setup is ideal for car trips.
- Mini Vans always score top marks for safety :)
Throughout the summer we had been discussing a road trip next summer that would go from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon and would allow us to check off many sites from our must see list (including, hopefully, Alaska). With that in mind, here is a recent Gchat conversation we had while not doing work at our respective offices:
Michelle: clearly backpacking needs to be our lifestyle.
next summer, we live from a tent (actually serious)
Katie: agreed
especially because I will have no money
and we will def know enough people to be able to go inside once in a while
Michelle: oh yeah, for sure!
Katie: and we could even buy a membership to scott carpenter* or something so we could shower there and swim whenever we want.
Michelle: yeah, good plan
okay so pros:
get skinny
see the stars every night
spend no money
show Paul** the love he deserves
develop deep appreciation for nature
Katie: learn to live on very few belongings
Michelle: maybe learn to hunt
Katie: YES
Michelle: cons:
become "that girl"
Katie: that could be a pro
Michelle: that's why we're friends
Katie: cons: probably decrease chances of finding a boyfriend
but increase chances of falling in love with a mountain man
or a bear.
we could definitely rent a storage unit to keep our bikes in and stuff
although if we had our van...
YES
Michelle: omg omg omgo mg
yes
minivan
Katie: this is happening, and it is happening with a new tricked out minivan
Michelle: omgomgoeruithpc23481*&#^&#
Katie: i know!
i am freaking otu
And THAT, is the story of the day The Minivan Plan was conceived. More on maps and details later.
* Scott Carpenter is a local outdoor pool in Boulder
**Paul is our hatchet
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