The Man

Ever since Tana was a puppy ( 11 yrs ago) there has been a man in our neighborhood that puts her on high alert. She doesn't bark at him, she just watches him very closely. He walks with a back pack, a wide brimmed hat and a bit of a slouch. As soon as she spots him, she circles back around and gets behind him on her walk. She keeps a very close eye on him until he reaches a certain boundary. We have no idea why she does this, but her sense tells her that he needs an escort out of her territory. She has spotted him outside of the immediate neighborhood, once in downtown he was on the opposite side of the 101. She stopped and made sure he was far away before she would budge from her post. 

Over the years we have wondered what causes her to be so suspicious of this man. Maybe it is the contents of his backpack? Something about his smell? She doesn't pay attention to other people who have on hats or backpacks or walk with a slouch- unless all three are present like this morning. We were walking along and all of the sudden she stopped dead in her tracks and had missile vision locked on to something. I looked across the street and sure enough a fellow was walking along with a backpack, a slouch and a hat. I tried to explain to her that it wasn't who she thought it was but have you ever tried to reason with a dog on a mission? We had to cross the street and she had to get within sniffing distance. She put her nose in the air and did some sniffing and then stopped, looked at me and headed back where we were going. It wasn't The Man. 

Silver Mining

I just read the story of the Silver Queen, Baby Doe Tabor. Her life was not easy. Sure, there were times when she was the queen of society, but there were also times when she was living in rags in an unheated, unplumbed shack. Bet she wished then that she hadn't spent so much money on silly trinkets!

It is fitting that I read this the same week that I started doing recon rides on the Silver Rush mountain bike course. The Silver Rush 50 is the second race in the Leadman series. If I want to strike silver I am going to have to dig as deep as those miners did. They led a hard uncertain life and I feel that I will be experiencing many of those things during this race. There are going to be very rocky bumpy times. I hope that I can hold my fortune and not end up burning all my matches on the early climbs. If I do, I'll end up like Baby Doe dying in the Matchless Mine. 

Climbing the back side of Ball Mountain

Not nearly as hard work as what the people who settled this area experienced.

Saturated

The first time I came to Leadville in 2009 I will never forget the feeling as I summited Fremont pass. I had a headache, I was breathing rapidly and I was lightheaded. I was driving. 

A week and a half after I arrived here this time I rode over the pass on my bike. I was happy to not experience those same sensations. I wasn't able to push hard though and took it pretty easy to the summit both directions.  The first few days I was here I would check my pulse oximetry (I may not work as a nurse anymore but I still love the medical devices:)). At rest I was 90-93% with a heart rate in the low 50's. When I would test it at light activity, such as scrubbing walls (which took 3 days) I would drop to 86-88% with a heart rate in the 80's. The first time I did an easy trainer ride I couldn't get my heart rate up over 120 without my Oxygen sats dropping to the low 80's. This is probably not that interesting to most of you but it is how I was testing my progress. It's funny that I am so excited to use my pulse oximeter when I don't have a computer on my bikes and I don't use a heart rate monitor and rarely break out the Garmin. (which I haven't done yet here because I really don't need to be told I am going slow). 

Last Friday I was able to do a tough trainer workout and actually work hard. It was super windy, gusting to 50mph in town and I didn't think it was smart to head out over a pass with no one available to rescue me. Tana has been a great companion but she still hasn't mastered driving. We will work on that. During the trainer workout I was happy that I could push as hard as at sea level. Three years ago when I had the princess canopy bed I also had a mask to use on the trainer. The more acclimated I got the harder it was to drop my oxygen saturations. It is a nice feeling when it is no longer your lack of oxygenation holding you back but your legs. Now the real work can begin, I am saturated.

Drove my heart rate into the 160's and couldn't get my saturation below 90. (it was tricky to get a picture while still working hard enough to maintain these numbers)

Can It Get Any Better?

Every day I am out on the trails training and every day I think to myself this is amazing. I look at the scenery around me whether I am on the bike or running and am in awe. I think every view and vista is the most spectacular I have ever seen, and then I turn a corner. Perhaps I am in a permanent euphoric endorphin state. 

A good friend sent me the following quote. 'Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls'. Joseph Campbell. Well right now doors are being flung open for me. I am feeling more and more blessed every day. 

I am enjoying my second spring of the year:)

You might remember my post recently about loving my life. Well, my dear sweet friend Cathy sent me my very own necklace. Live the life you love, love the life you live. I don't think it can get any better, but I still have many corners to turn!

Best Summer Ever

Hello human friends, because my dog friends are not able to read you might need to read this to them. I wanted to let you know that I am having the BEST summer of my life, and it is not even officially summer yet. I am loving life in the mountains. At first I wasn't sure about all this white stuff I am encountering on the ground but I am learning that it is pretty good for eating when I am thirsty. Yes, I know, I am a snow dog but post holing through it isn't that much fun. When I can cruise over the top of it, I love it. Don't forget I am OLD, as a human I am closing in on 80. Look good don't I? My human is doing some crazy event this summer and I am doing my best to get her into shape. I walk her twice a day and take her for super fun trail runs. 

I wasn't sure about the start of this adventure, I barely had room to spread out!

I've developed quite the bone collection. The other day I dragged a whole rib home. My hunting skills are getting tuned.

Sometimes I ride shotgun, my bones are filling up my bed:0

I've finally learned that if I listen I get some privileges, it's the summer of freedom!

 There are lots of ground squirrels up above tree line, it's worth the effort to get there

Check out the view, I am on top of the world-almost

After a hard workout everyone should ice their legs.

Today I am resting, HARD. I don't know what my human is planning for me tomorrow and I need to be ready! If any of you want to visit let me know. I can show you where to foxes live, where the best bone hunting grounds are and I've figured out how to get through snow drifts. Like I said, it's the BEST SUMMER EVER! Love Tana

Shouldering the Responsibility

Last week within three days I received two different shoulder surgery photos. One from my mountain bike bud The Todd. He was out training and crashed, ended up shattering the head of his right humerus. Got lucky, didn't need shoulder replacement, they could fix it. BUT, now he is out of the Leadville Trail 100. I have been looking forward all year to spending time riding with him in the mountains. Now that isn't going to happen. 

Speedy recovery The Todd.

Addendum, The Todd now is slowly becoming the 6 million dollar man:)

Three days later it was my running buddy Waynes Worlds turn. We had known he was going to need surgery on his shoulder. All winter and spring though we held hope that he would recover quickly and be back at it fast. He is registered to run the Leadville Trail 100. Now it seems he won't be recovered quickly enough. Not to do the training, but he will be running again by then- just not 100 miles. I was so looking forward to running the start of the race with him. He needs me to hold him back a bit a the start. Keeping fingers crossed that he will be up for some training before the race.

Speedy recovery Wayne's World

So, now that the two boys are on the injured reserve list it leaves me to shoulder the responsibility of getting to the finish line of both 100's. I'll do my best boys but I'll be missing you every pedal and step of the way! Hope my shoulders are broad enough to handle the load:)

Just Another Day in the Office

I can now breathe easily while stationary so it was time to get back to work. I have heard lots of reasons why the training in Leadville isn't good yet. Maybe most of the courses are still covered in snow but there are plenty of options available and where there's a will there's a way. I am not here to vacation and spend my days sitting around a coffee shop whining about trail conditions. I am here to do work. Yesterday, I put on my work clothes and headed to the office for the day. Here is my day in pictures.

Time to punch in and get at it.

Trail looks pretty clear to me

I started out at the lakes

Made it up to 11,700ft from 9.400

Pretty Awesome day, looking forward to more days in this office. I could become a workaholic if I'm not careful: