June

It was a good month for riding. The weather was atrocious in Oregon but that didn't stop me from logging the most miles I have ever done in a month. I knocked out 854 miles on 18 rides. This pales in comparison to what the pros will be doing starting tomorrow but there is a reason they are professional cyclists and I do something different.

This week on vacation, I racked up 230 miles, culminating in a climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon in SLC, UT. I'd say this is probably one of the hardest rides I have ever done. Partly due to the grade - it averages 9.2% over almost 9 miles - and the other part due to the elevation. Riding at sea level and then trying to ride up almost 3,400 feet of elevation gain starting around 5,000 feet causes the lungs to burn a bit. I loved the ride and would do it again. The craziest part was the descent. Recently in Bicycling Magazine, the descent down Little Cottonwood made their top 10 list of the best descents in the US. Crazy it was. I hit my brakes to slow down to the mid 40's. The road is good in some places and suspect in others. I can only imagine the toll the weather takes on that road - freezing multiple times in the fall and winter and then being heated above 100 degrees in the summer. Even with all that, it is the best and craziest descent I have ever done. This was a great way to top off the week of riding.

Only two weeks to STP. I figure one more week at 200 miles and then a taper week to do the STP. Then back on the stick for a few weeks and then Mt. Shasta. Today's ride gives me great confidence to do Shasta. It is all in the head now.

Last note: I rode in 98 degree weather on Monday. It was crazy hot. I was fortunate to have my heart rate monitor with me. I feel that it helped me to not push too hard and keep my cooler. I constantly monitored my heart rate and kept it under 140. Although the ride punished me, I didn't get heat exhaustion or pass out.