Any other crazy persons trying to keep up with some kind of training program while at the festival this year? I’m doing the Boulder 70.3 half-ironman in August and I can’t afford to take a break…so I’ll be working to squeeze in some time at the Town Park Pool (is that open as normal during the festival?), running on the paths around town, and even trying to do a big road bike ride on Saturday (I’m driving from Boulder so can bring my bike). Speak up if you’re in the same boat and want to meet up for any of it! I could sure use some comrades, especially someone who knows their way around and wants to road ride (I usually average around 13-15 mph, not super fast).
This is my fifth festival, so yes I do understand how ridiculous this is, and how much the altitude is going to kick my butt.
Just a thought: perhaps bringing your hiking shoes and a mountain bike will give you an edge via cross training … you can push yourself just as much (if not more) and also not miss out on what the area has to offer.
I was “training” for RAGBRAI when I was at Bluegrass last year. Of course, RAGBRAI training involves drinking as much as it involves cycling, so my “training” turned out to be especially well-rounded. I took my road bike and got in a couple of nice rides that week. The best and most challenging ride is up to Lizard Head Pass, but there’s more than enough traffic on those hairpins for me. I skipped the Lizard Head ride due to my other festival training and just rode up to the airport and around the paved roads up there. Way less traffic, great views, some nice, sustained climbs, and the opportunity to watch some of the most hairball commercial airline pilots in the world doing their thing.
I’d recommend a trip to the Ouray pool for a nice swimming pool. Olympic size, little chlorine and a kind hot spring @ 104-106 adjacent. I love our little pool for our kids and a cool off dip, but for laps, a little tight. Not to mention visiting the hamlet of Ouray another beautiful Valley, though wider than Telluride. I recommend getting there around 3:00 so you get some sun but not the heat of the day. There is also a good sized pool in the Peaks up in Mountain Village, just a gondola ride away.