I’ll call it a tie
As I get myself back into shape after the clavicle surgery, I’ve actually been able to get back on the bike before doing any serious running or any swimming whatsoever. After a few weeks on the trainer at home, our trip to Maui came at a perfect time and I’ve been out for two great long-ish rides on the island. This morning (and well into the afternoon), I challenged myself with a climb to the summit of Haleakala volcano. It’s 36 miles each way with 10,000 feet of elevation gain. And unlike a lot of courses, it’s just straight up. There are no real breaks in the climbing. You start at sea level, climb 10,023 feet and finish at 10,023 feet. Then you turn around and fly down 10,023 feet in 36 miles. Today’s conditions were cold and rainy with a headwind. Fun stuff.
It was by far the toughest ride I have ever done. In my fight against the volcano, I’ll call it a tie because even though I made it to the top, the volcano nearly had me crying on the way. I actually thought about quitting a few times. But I pushed through and made it to the top (see proof above)! Next time, I’m gonna kick it’s ass.
You can be sure that I’ll write up a full report of the Haleakala climb and my other rides on Maui at some point soon!
The other point of this blog post is that my two favorite races ever are both going on this weekend: Angeles Crest 100 beginning Saturday at 5am PDT and Ironman Lake Placid on Sunday at 7am EDT. There’s a big contingent of Coyotes and a bunch of other friends running AC100, which means I’ll be following Twitter, Facebook and the official feed very closely Saturday and Sunday. Good luck, strong legs and fast feet to all!