Last w/e was my third of 4 qualifying events for PBP. 400k (250mi) and 10,000' of climbing, heading up Left-hand Canyon north of Boulder to the Peak-to-Peak highway, down around Carter and Horsetooth reservoirs, north of Fort Collins, then back to Louisville to finish.
Was in 2nd starting up the canyon, but my goal was merely to finish without stressing my back, so recovered up the climb, topping out in 5th. From there, 4 of us worked well together to the control point in Wellington (see pic). By that time we had done 180mi and 9k of climbing in 10:40, and as the front 4 were well ahead, we cruised it in, our group swelling to 7 by the finish.
Total time of 16:02 included 2hrs off the bike! Usually that would only be about an hour for me for a 400k, so we really did cruise the last bit. My back held up really well, which was the goal, and still a tie for 5th with a decent time.
Next up, Denver to Aspen this weekend, a more serious race rather than simply a qualifier. I'll be flying the Kokopelli Racing Team colors for this one!
Nice Finish! Makes a huge difference to hook up with a group. Looking forward to hearing how Denver to Aspen goes!
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