Murphy's Law, Episode 378, with a twist

We'd planned to drive to Leadville last weekend to watch the start of THE mountain bike race, then ride around Turquoise Lake a time or two. Decided at the last minute our time would be better spent riding Deer Creek Canyon, which requires no driving. We ride to the start and ride home after the finish. The Lizard is participating in the Deer Creek Challenge next weekend, so this was his final chance to train.

Good climbs, legs ready, whip up a whole wheat pasta salad while we search the internet for Leadville 100 results. We were really hoping Fat Cyclist would finally nail his sub-9 finish, the 100 mile course in 9 hours or less for the prized belt buckle. Fatty had added incentive this year. Specialized offered to GIVE him the S-works 29er he was demo-ing if he could claim the sub-9 on it.

He did!!!!!

All those years of trying, and he finally got it. He drove to Leadville chanting, "Sub-9, and you're mine!" And he got it!

So inspirational for the big rides we have coming up! If Fatty can do it, so can we!!!

Then comes Monday morning, and blood red fluid all over the ground beneath the car just a few miles from work. Lost the brakes. Oh, my gosh. We lost the brakes.

If we had driven to Leadville on Saturday, we would have scaled three mountain passes in the 4Runner. That trusty OLD, official SAG vehicle pushing 285,000 miles. And we would have lost brakes. A lot further from home, and possibly on a descent. Probably on Kenosha Pass. A steep two-lane highway with plenty of traffic and no runaway truck ramp I can recall.

It could have been a disaster.

Thank you, God, for keeping us safe.

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My Kinda Race

I'm such a turtle, they named the Slow Race after me!

Actually, my first real climb on The Lizard's retired Green Queen was a little faster than what I've been doing on my mountain bike. He even remarked that I seemed to be climbing at the same speed I climb on my road bike.

If that didn't cause the adrenaline to surge, I don't know what would!

I do have to get a little lighter on the fingers, though. I got the chain stuck twice because I'm putting too much pressure on the gears. Gee, I wonder how I developed that bad habit?!?

After watching the Leadville Legends literally race by in eight minutes just eight minutes after the race began, we did a training ride around aptly named Turquoise Lake, of which a short portion is a segment of the official Leadville 100 route. Another adrenaline rush — literally following in the Big Guns' tire tracks. Seeing all the water bottles, gel containers and bar wraps the riders discarded alongside the road. Geez, I don't think Ride the Rockies made that big a mess!

After our ride, we returned to the same spot where we shot predawn Leadville 100 pictures and waited about an hour before the first rider shot by like a bullet. Levi Leipheimer shattered last year’s record. Most impressive to me, however, was Ned Overend’s 27th-place finish after giving his wheel to crashed teammate Todd Wells. Deadly Nedly is 54! Living proof you’re never too old to ride.

Living proof I’ll never be too old to ride!

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