early season flagstaff mtn

well, i have some work to do. after a fairly easy two hour ride with neighbor John Shippey in the flats around town, we finished the ride with an effort up Flagstaff Mtn to the Amphitheater. the roads were clear of all ice and snow and the temp was cold but bearable for still being January. the effort up to the Amphitheater was a reminder of why training in winter sucks. it was a reminder that the body is coming out of hibernation and needs to adapt slowly to these efforts. it hurt bad, the whole 15 minutes of climbing, but it left me hungry to get recovered so next week i can shoot for a faster time or go another mile further up the mountain. hopefully by early February i'll be able to get in the ballpark of my usual timed efforts up Super Flag. for those who don't live in Boulder, that's our 4.7-mile mountain with some steep sections that weigh in at 17% grade - the halfway point in called the Amphitheater.