I've been waiting for days like this, not just because patio beer is so much better when it's this hot outside, but because it was a scorching 40C while riding up to Yellow Lake at IMC 2009. Last year while volunteering at Ironman Canada at the top of that same climb, I saw people reaching the top in a hypothermic state due to the cold, rainy, windy conditions. Fortunately I live in Calgary so I've had the opportunity for wet, cold, windy rides aplenty. But it has been rare this year to get anything close to real heat.
Saturday Ricky and I scheduled an approximately 4 hour ride. Heading west on Spruce Meadows Trail, South through Priddis and onto Millarville, and returning via the Road to Nepal, we got in 3h45min of actual riding. Perhaps we should have skipped our nearly 1h stop at the Millarville Farmers' Market and looked for another 15 minutes of open road. (But, hey, that's what makes those summer day rides memorable). After Grant put us through our paces on Wednesday and Thursday, the quadriceps didn't feel like they were firing on all cylinders on the hilly road to Nepal. To the point where I flatted at the bottom of a hill, realized it was a slow leak and the hill wasn't that big so I'd be better riding up the hill and then changing the flat because who wants to stop at the bottom of a hill. For those of you keeping score, I made it 3/4 of the way up the hill to where the gradient lessens and the bout between potential damage to my rims and my laziness swung the opposite way. I managed to attack the top of the remaining 5 hills and powering over to minimize my loss to Rick (who, by the way, seemed to benefit greatly from a week off the bike to rest his knee). Great ride. And I still managed to get in my beer on a patio!
Today (i.e. Sunday) was another beautiful day, even in the mountains. An early morning start (9am is early by my standards) saw us on the road to Banff to drop off Rick's vehicle at the Rundleside Trail Head. A short drive back to the Canmore Nordic Centre saw us hit the trailhead on the other side. Although not before checking out a bit of the Canadian XC Mountain Bike Championships. I need a new Mountain Bike. The trail starts out with 5 km on some gravel cross country trails (I imagine they are probably covered in snow during the cross country skiing season) then hits single track for 8km. That 8km section is beautiful. So much so that I was thoroughly disappointed when my 13km run ended today. Canmore to Banff is mainly downhill with a few small uphill grades, so no excuses for you not to do it. My knees felt great today and I literally felt like I was floating over the ground. I can't wait to get back out there and hammer a 17km out and back from the other side in the very near future.
Tomorrow that previously referred to website told me it's going to be 30C with that happiness-inducing little sun tomorrow. Work is going to be tough while anticipating my 2.5 hour ride tomorrow evening.
Long may the summer continue. And along with it this euphoric feeling of training. Who knows, maybe I'll even get outside for an open-water swim!
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