Today I rode up to Lizard Head pass, almost exactly 16 miles south of town at 10,250 feet. That's exactly 1,500 feet of vertical gain. I mention this because of how amazed I am at how good I felt during and after the ride. Again, I wasn't racing anywhere, I went at a generally leisurely pace, although there were a few times when I put the hammer down, just because I felt that I could. It's a tremendous boost to my confidence because less than a month ago I bonked on a hard climb like that and today I felt like I could have kept riding all day long. I only stopped because I'm trying to excersise self-restraint and not push too hard, which I think will be extremely important when I'm on the big ride. More photos:
The Wilso
ns reflected in a shabby little pond on the side of the road; Down-valley view looking north (the town of Ophir is to the viewer's right, out of frame); Informational plaque at the Lizard Head Pass trailhead; My cyclecomputer/altimeter, which is only 25 ft
off. Click on the photos to enlarge.
Please visit my
LAF page.
The Wilso
ns reflected in a shabby little pond on the side of the road; Down-valley view looking north (the town of Ophir is to the viewer's right, out of frame); Informational plaque at the Lizard Head Pass trailhead; My cyclecomputer/altimeter, which is only 25 ft 
off. Click on the photos to enlarge.
7 comments:
Wonderful photos. Remind people to click on them to see them in all their glory. Nice shot of your steed. Can you give some specs on the bike?
That's great that you felt so good doing the climb.
We were in Vermont over the weekend for Evan's graduation. I'll email you some photos.
The bike is a Scattante, which is Performance Bike's "house brand." Full carbon fiber monocoque design, full Ultegra component group. Anyone looking for serious bike for a ridiculous price should check them out. I use Look A5.1 pedals and Shimano carbon fiber shoes.
The saddle is a Selle SMP Strike Pro. The little bend in the nose serves a couple of purposes, the most useful of which for me is to provide something extra to grip between the thighs on fast descents, increasing leverage.
I love the photos. Great camera. Wonderful ride. I had lunch at McDonald's today at sea level. Rode in a car for almost 4 hours and spent $20 on gas. Top that!
Matt, what I can say, I leave the country for ten days and I come back to see you in full swing for your phenomenal voyage. Needless to say I'm very proud of you. The only thing is you've ruined the birthday present I was planning for you (a website for your trip), so now I'll have to think of something else! Looking forward to reading all about the preparations. A huge BRAVO to you for taking this on.
-Lisa
xxx
Hey, I just noticed something. If you click on a topic header, like Lizard Head, you see just that topic and its comments on one page. That makes it easier to read all the comments.
Hey, Lisa, how nice of you to plan to make a website for Matt! I guess this blog is plenty, though, and we're enjoying keeping up with his training progress. I love the photos and music videos too. We played them at a family gathering over the weekend, and people were blown away by his guitar-playing skill.
Hi Mrs. Eisenberg! I agree with you, the guitar videos are a nice touch. I remember Matt's first musical steps our first year at UVM. He's come far since then. It was very nice to meet you in Telluride a couple years ago, at the Ice House if I remember correctly. I'm planning on moving out there for next winter (in need of a time-out from the DC policy world!) so hopefully I'll see you again on the slopes.
Hi, Lisa! Yes, Matt told us you're moving out to Paradise. Lucky you! I'm sure we'll be skiing out there next season, so let's take some runs together.
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