Well, a huge “THANK YOU” to Dan and Tanya, and Monty for putting on what for me was a great training day, and for some was a rare chance to get fit by the best in the biz! Dan (Slowman), Rappstar (Jordan Rapp) and John Cobb were all there taking fit sessions with people. If you’ve ever needed a fit and you didn’t make it out today, you missed out. I and several others were simply there for a training day. For me, it was a real treat to train on different roads and terrain than my typical day-to-day routes which can get monotonous, and since I ALWAYS train alone, by choice, it was nice to train with other like-minded folks and it definitely helped pass the time on the ride and run to hang with that crew!
After some pastries, we finally got going around 10:30am and Rappstar and MikePlumb led two different groups. Most of us went with Jordan and did a 12-mile warmup loop around the Valyermo area. Very few cars on the roads and some beautiful desert scenery, and great company with all you guys. Then, we began…THE CLIMB. This is the one that Bjorn holds the record for apparently. Somewhere between 40 and 45 minutes they say, and it’s nearly 3,000 feet up in under 12 miles. I have never done a climb that long and was up for it, as we all were. I think it took me about 1:15 or so and I was beat at the top. Felt great to get a good workout like that. Jordan was descending as I continued to climb, chasing Bjorn Andersson who was flying downhill and I quickly asked Jordan how much further to the top. His response? “A ways!”. Shit! I pressed on. We were all spread out and I never really saw anyone else until we regrouped at the top.
A few of the guys pressed on for more climbing (masochists), but with a 1/2 IM next weekend, I am in taper mode, so I opted to descend with about 5 others. We bundled up at the top and had a fantastic 20-25 minute glide back down. At the bottom, it was about 70 degrees, so my gloves and fleece were a bit much once we got to the bottom, but we made it back to Xantusia a few minutes later and I grabbed a snack from the car.
It took a little while to organize a run, but four of us set out on a dirt road just down from the ST Compound. Legs were surprisingly stiff from that climb! I can see why this place is so great to train- elevation, empty roads, great climbs, trails, etc. Oh, and if you like dogs, the place is like Cesar Millan’s wet dream. About 5 or 6 dogs roaming the grounds all very friendly, and a few horses too! But the coup d gras (did I spell that correctly?) was Monty’s epic BBQ. We gorged ourselves on salad, chips and salsa, pasta, tri tip, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, cake, etc. Damn, that was good. Monty, you rock the grill like no other, and thanks for the chicken recipe!
So, below are some photos of the day, and if any of you get a chance to visit up there, it will be worth your while!
Out front of the Slowtwitch Compound:
The legendary John Cobb discussing the finer points of something with some of today’s attendees:
Slowman (aka Dan Empfield) beginning a fitting (sorry for the blur- cell phone camera!):
The crew ready for our morning bike ride. The weather was perfect. In the pic, are Mikedonia, Kylie, Sailnfast, Longboarder, MikePlumb, Rappstar, Robert (can’t remember your screen name…sorry), Mike’s friend Vicki, and a couple others who’s names escape me:
After our 12-mile warmup loop, the climbing begins right here:
It’s over 11 miles and nearly 3K feet of climbing. Here I am near the bottom, still feeling full of energy:
Jackson Lake was beautiful with people fishing and snow right down to the water. About 6,200 feet I think, and I’m getting tired:
Happy because I’m finally at the top, with Mountain High Ski Area in the background. Temp was a good 20 degrees cooler at the top at 7K feet:
I hate taking pics of myself with my cell phone camera. I’m always tilting my head back to fit in the picture!
