I am a sucker for inspirational quotes

It's a NEW YEAR

And with each new year re-emerges those familiar questions to the self: Can I get back in shape ever again? Will I be a better person? Will I be fully present and tell those whom I love that I indeed love them? Will I finally sort through all the paper, old books, and old clothes around my house, thinning down to just two suitcases? Will I have no regrets, will my mistakes ache less, will I avoid hurting others, and will I once and for all free myself from the wasteful pages of facebook and twitter - regaining my ability to speak in full-sentences and complete paragraphs?

"The will to succeed is important, but what's more important is the will to prepare." ~ Basketball coach Bobby Knight.

Perhaps this one trait is what still attracts me to the sport of cycling and what brings out such admiration for all those who ride their hearts out at event rides. I applaud the evidence of hours spent in preparation and battle between the mind and body. I admire those who tackle a goal and not only dream but succeed.

I am grateful for the abilities of men like Dirk Friel and Jeremy Duerksen at Training Peaks, and other coaches, for the guidance they offer athletes, because to be quite honest, I am dreadful at giving or following any training regiment. I ride because I can cover a lot of ground quickly and I like the views, I zumba because I love to move to music, I swim because I like the change in gravity, I hike because I like the unknown, I yoga because it helps me with those first 12 steps out of bed in the morning.

I once tried to follow a set training plan - it told me when to ride and rest, when to lift and how. I was deep into February, following this boxed plan, and awoke to a glorious blue sky in Denver and perfect 57 degree weather. I looked at my training plan which demanded an indoor time trial at LT for 50 minutes, my heart sunk. Instead of going outside and following my spirit which desired to ride wherever the wind blew me for the next 3 hours - I did it. I did that damn LT test. Then, I never followed that training plan again. Done. That is a true story.

Yes I believe that training really works for the body, but for my mind, a set schedule is like making the creative writer in me write I must write in a straight line one-thousand times over, or making the artistic photographer in me stand in the same place all day. I go nuts! More baffling than anything else, is that others do not seem to understand this. They take the spirit right out of me with their talk of watts and exact start times and exact mileage needed at set speeds on set days.

I feel like an outcast in this sport of cycling. Heaven forbid I slip up and show signs of outward joy on a bike, especially when the day has not been deemed a recovery day. I wonder why I ever stopped rock climbing, mountaineering, kayaking or backcountry skiing. These are the sports of kind souls with extreme minds who push their bodies to great physical limits without drugs and without words of disapproval for not getting it done their way. They are the types that are just happy to see you alive at the end of the day. The way I see it, the only thing that matters is making it to the top and back safely and having a good story to share over the next meal or drink.

It takes much to succeed, it takes desire and preparation, and a love of doing it. So give me a Col or high mountain pass anytime over an indoor compu-trainer class. These are the places were my mind and body meet in a place where all cares leave and the only thought becomes, I can do this. I am here, I am free.

I rode my bicycle here!!!

And so did most of those people. Mt Baldy, Amgen Tour of California, a different type of scenic mountain top, California, 2012
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

 And way up here!!!!

I can ride forever in the Ossau Valley - French Pyrenees, 2012
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Ride my own bike, then watch the Pros do it. KOM on Col d' Aubisque, Tour de France, 2012
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

 Cruising the Cirque du Litor on the way to the Col du Soulor, Pyrenees, 2012   
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Riding the road to the Tour de France mountain top finish at Peyregudes, 2012   
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Up and over a mountain. Gliding down from the Col de la Marie Blanque, Pyrenees, 2012   
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Breathtaking (in two ways), on the road to Cirque de Gavernie, France, 2012   
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

I am riding way up there to those mountain peaks! Climbing the east side to the Col du Soulor, 2012
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Heaven on Earth. My favorite ride in the Pyrenees - the gateway to the Cirque du Litor, 2012   
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Where I had my Birthday celebration lunch last summer! On the patio of the Brasserie Col d'Aubisque.   
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

And with these guys !!!

Yup, I do my training on the roads with BMC. Out for a ride in Durango, Colorado, 2012   
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Looking down at my ride, nearing the summit of Independence Pass, USA Pro Challenge, 2012   
©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

And how can I forget my ride up the Koppenberg and Kwaremont on my 10 Euro rental bike!

The Koppenberg in Belgium, 2012. What a ride!  ©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Getting it done .... any way I can.

I have NO idea what I will ride in 2013 .... but I won't be doing an indoor Lactate Threshold test on the first beautiful warm sunny day of 2013.

I fully support you in your New Year's resolution training plans, and once again offer this hefty list of event rides and races in Colorado in 2013. Why not take on a Gran Fondo, or an Etape du Tour, or a century ride while you're at it. It sure feels great when you cross the finish line, or reach the top of any col. Happy New Year!

Adendum: A friend sent me this note this morning (30 December 2012)
"In light of all the recent cycling scandal I am reminded of a William Blake quote.
 "No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings""

Update 01/01/13:  VeloNews offers this Design your own training plan for 2013 with free training program and calendar files from FasCat Coaching in Boulder, Colorado. Perhaps designing your own program will allow you to listen to your own mind and body, respond to spectacular or crummy weather, and adapt to family or work surprises. Real life stuff. Or speak with my good friend Sue Lloyd at Cycles Coaching, she will design a race or event training program for you, or simply answer your specific questions about your own plan with by the hour consultations. Sue knows better than to ask me if I'm going to compu-trainer class. No Sue, I'm going outside, thank you.

The Tour de France is so cool

Wow wow and wow

Do I need any other word to describe a day at the Tour de France? I spent the past five days in the Pyrenees as a tourist, two of those days were spent on mountain stages of the Tour de France, the other 3 days were spent saying statements like, "wow this is beautiful" and "wow this tastes so good" and “this road is steep.” We ate really really really good food and met some very fun people. Really, would be my second choice of word to describe a vacation in the south of France. Really fantastic views, really great roads for cycling, really friendly people, really glad I came. 

Compared to the predominantly French feeling of stages 10,1 1, and 12, I had attended last week in the area of the Rhone River Valley, stages 16 and 17 in the Pyrenees highlighted some of the best climbs in the Pyrenees and had that epic feeling. The weather was perhaps the best I had ever experienced on a Tour day (in 6 previous visits). Perhaps Cavendish and Zabriskie would not agree, as they reportedly suffered in the heat, but as a fan, the clear skies made for dramatic views as we sat on a hillside waiting for a pack of riders to pass by. 

Last Wednesday morning we joined the gathering numbers of cyclists riding the approach up the D934 south of Pau to climb the Col d' Aubisque. This road is commonly included on the route of the Tour and happens to run directly below the sauque (farm) where we are staying in the Vallee d'Ossau. To understand the Pyrenees one must grasp the idea of various valleys running south into a huge mountain range stretching west to east and dividing France from Spain.

To understand the Tour de France, one must grasp the idea that these valleys mean nothing to a cyclist who must traverse 5 valleys in one stage and never get the chance to sit and enjoy the view, eat a grilled sausage sandwich from a local food vendor, giggle over trinkets thrown from an entertaining caravan, or have the opportunity to stop and snap photographs along the beautiful route.

Cycling on the route of the Tour de France is like getting to play a scrimmage game with your best friends on the football field before the Superbowl and then meeting fans from around the world who are there to do the same thing and then getting to stand on the sideline and watch. The only goal of a fan is to have a good time, under good weather, and cheer on their favorite riders. We got to do all of that. 

We were so excited we woke early to begin our ride up the mountain, we did not want to be blocked by the Gendarmes, which is sort of par for the course. The Col d’Aubisque was tricky since it was the first of 4 significant climbs of the day and the caravan would pass by 2 hours prior to the riders. We had no idea what to expect, we only wanted to be there to participate. We continued pedaling, up and up, receiving cheers are we rode past surprised fans.

Never once did it occur that we were doing something extraordinary, we are cyclists from Colorado, where half the riders are women. But here in France, it is a rare sight to see women riding epic climbs. Two days later we met 2 women from Florida who were here to do the same thing. When they told us they traveled all this way to ride onto the route of the Tour de France, we responded, “wow that is so cool,” but wait, we were doing the same thing!

The Tour de France is a grand organized chaotic exciting festival. A day of people helping people, offering pushes up the hill, sharing caravan swag, allowing passage on the descent, laughing and smiling no matter what your country or language. The experience as a fan melds well with the goal of teamwork of the pro riders. To me the Tour de France is people, then sport, and then scenery.

We rode, we walked, but we got to the top of that mountain. Those Gendarmes let us by, but not until we engaged them in various honest conversations explaining - yes our cycling shoes were in our napsacks, but our flip-flops were on our feet. No, we would not put back on our cycling shoes after passing the Gendarmes because we were content to walk up the Col d’Aubisque rather than ride up it (actually much harder), nor would we de-flat our tires (as they suggested) to prove our intent. The Gendarmes would have to trust that we were experienced flip-floppers on 9-10% grades. Negotiating with a Gendarme is a subjective art form in France.

The Tour de France riders got to ride up the Col d’Aubisque. On Stage 16 of the Tour de France, they rode up the Vallee d’Ossau to climb the Col d'Aubisque (Col #1), across to the Col du Soulor, down to the Valley Lavenden, up the Gorge de Luz, up the Col du Tourmalet (Col #2), down to the Adour River, up the Col d'Aspin (Col #3), down to the town of Arreau in the Vallee d’Aure, up the Col de Peyresourde (Col #4), and finally descended into the spa resort of Bagneres-du-Luchon to an entirely new outcome of the Tour de France. Well no wonder after all of that.

Meanwhile after watching the riders pass by, we had a short pedal to the top of the Col d’Aubisque where we enjoyed a grilled sausage sandwich and a cold drink at the café while watching the Tour proceed on TV. Our biggest concern was carting back our huge stash of caravan loot and wondering where our next baguette would be found. Being a fan is easy.

I want to let the riders know that the fans have an incredibly good time out there waiting for their over-heated high wattage bodies to ride by. Thank you for providing us with a great excuse to wile away the day on a beautiful mountainside in France.

We came home to sleep and do it all over the next day, during a totally different experience on Stage 17 at Peyregudes (tons of fun). For now photographs from being a fan at Stage 16 of the 2102 Tour de France: Thomas Voeckler won the Stage! This was the scene on just one of the Cols - can you imagine the others?

Monica proving she will wear her flip-flops (thongs for you Aussies) up the Col d'Aubisque.

Guess Where #3

Where have we cycled to now?

Can you guess the locations of these 3 images (And because I was on vacation last week, a few extra images for you this week): click images to enlarge

Image #1

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Image #2

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Image #3

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#1 - The gate to the Cirque du Litor

The Cirque du Litor shelf road connects the famous cols of Col du Soulor and Col d'Aubisque in the French Pyrenees. These two climbs are commonly featured in the Tour de France, as they will be again in 2012. The Cirque du Litor happens to be one of my favorite places to be on a bike. The views are incredible, and on each side of this passage, cyclists may relax at cafes. 

Getting to this road is worth every bit of the 8%+ climbs of the Col du Soulor and the Col d'Aubisque, or from the third option - the climb from the town of Ferrieres. I hope upon your arrival you do not find the gate down as it was when I arrived one day in June 2010. The road is closed during times of repair and during winter months (December-June). On this occasion above, the road was closed to remove gravel in preparation for the Tour de France. Don't worry I came back a few days later and rode it twice.

Now you know where this well known image, often shown in Tour de France photos, is located. This scenic tunnel below is on la Corniche du Cirque de Litor between Col du Soulor and Col d'Aubisque in the Pyrenees.

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

#2 - Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy

The piazza is an urban open space in late Medieval style architecture dating from 1280 to 1350. The Piazza del Campo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Italy's most visited tourist attractions. Every July and August Il Palio horse race is held in the piazza, in which horses race around the brick square. The Palio is preceded by the Corteo Storico (passeggiata storica), the traditional parade of drummers and flag twirlers. Flag twirlers often delight tourists in the square throughout the year. If you are cycling in Tuscany (Toscana), make a point of visiting Siena in the heart of beautiful Tuscany, a 1'15"drive south of Florence, Italy.

©Photo by PedalDancer.com

Ivan Basso tweeted this photo of himself cycling in Tuscany on January 17, 2012

#3 - The Chapel on Alpe d'Huez

Any cyclist who has climbed Alpe d'Huez knows that the site of this chapel means you are nearing the top of the climb. It is a landmark well remembered. The name of the picturesque chapel is Church of Sainte Anne and is located in Huez Village at 1450m. The church still offers services on the first Saturday of every month at 4.45pm. There will be a Saint Anne's Feast Day on Satruday 28 and Sunday 29 July 2012. The festival is organized by Huizats (the inhabitants of Huez, I just learned that term) to honor the patron Saint of Huez (their historical village on the slope of Alpe d'Huez). The festival includes painting stained glass, trout fishing, a meal in the countryside, a ball, a traditional costume parade, a boot fair, and a mass.

Usually cyclists ride right by this small chapel and town, en route to conquer l' Alpe d'Huez's famously sign-posted 21 hairpin turns. I believe the chapel is at corner #7 (leaving six more corners to go to the top). Signpost #21 is at the bottom, when you see signpost #1, start celebrating - you have climbed Alpe d'Huez! This cyclist will give you a play by play of every turn on the climb. To learn more about the signs on Alpe d'Huez, which list every past stage winner, on Alpe d'Huez, in the Tour de France, read an earlier Pedal Dancer post: "21 levels of hell", or 21 steps to heaven. Discover whose name is on which sign.

Andy Hampsten's name is on Sign #5 ©Photo by PedalDancer.com

See all the Guess Where series of posts

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