Spokes

Leadville 50 Course and Profile The alarm went off at 4:30 AM. This was the second day in a row I had to rise out of bed before the sun rose over the horizon. Julie had finished the triple bypass ride the day before and I spent the day driving through the mountains as her Sherpa. Today, we would exchange roles. I groggily rolled out of the Super 8 hotel bed and walked over to turn on the coffee maker. Gulping down a full glass of water I went back over to the bed and sat down to wait for the hot liquid to pour over the hotel coffee beans. Just by chance, I had booked a hotel that was directly across the street from the starting line. I could see the lights and banners from where I was sitting on the bed. I squinted my tired eyes to look at the last minute weather forecast on my iPhone. 41 degrees with a high of 67. It would be a great day for racing. Finally the coffee finished brewing and I poured a steaming paper cup. I ate a breakfast bar consisting of around 400 calori...