As mentioned in my previous post about cycling with a newborn, our family has recently welcomed our second daughter who is now three weeks old. After my mother-in-law departed (she was here for two weeks), we had a week to ourselves. At the moment, my mother is here to spend time with her granddaughters and give my wife and me a break.
My wife is still recovering from giving birth, but she’s getting close to being able to ride her bike again. I’m so happy for her, especially since I mentioned on my About page that she loves cycling. Even though I introduced her to it, she quickly became a better rider than me. But right now, I have the opportunity to go out without feeling bad about leaving my wife with a two-year-old and a newborn. Grandparents are fantastic and should be used if possible to allow you to continue cycling when you have children.
Sometimes you need to ride with no goals
Over the course of the year, I focused on staying within my endurance zones and fueling myself properly to prepare for the Triple Bypass ride that I completed in July 2023. The ride covered a distance of 118 miles and had a total elevation gain of 10,800 feet. Sometimes, it felt more like a challenge than an enjoyable activity, which made it hard to go out and cycle just for fun.
Over the weekend, I went on a ride in Denver, CO. Due to a lack of sleep and fewer recent opportunities to ride, my fitness level was at its lowest this year. However, I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying the beautiful September weather. Instead of pushing myself to break PRs on Strava, I took the time to appreciate the scenery and fresh Rocky Mountain air!
I rode a loop from Green Mountain to Golden and around North Table Mountain that I discovered this past spring. It was a beautiful day, with plenty of cyclists out and about.
It was really starting to feel like fall, which is my favorite time of the year to ride. It isn’t as hot, so I can ride during the day without getting up super early. I love a lazy morning, which is hard to find once you have kids.
On my way back home I passed the Coors beer factory and captured a great shot of Lookout Mountain towering above downtown Golden.
I really should have looked at my route better ahead of time as the last 10 miles of my 33 mile ride was 50% of the elevation gain. My legs were hurting and I was tired, but it was great to get out and be on the bike. Let’s hope baby #2 starts sleeping longer at night!
I hope to continue to get out this week a few more times while Grandma is here, which may keep me from making much progress on unlocking the Zwift Tron Bike.