Was informed with a smile last Monday that we were off for a training camp in true Conrad Caveman style, being different from most high performance camps in that we do actually camp. What an experience. The art of Smores, a wafer biscuit smothering fire molten chocolate and a braai’d marshmallow. Enjoyed a pizza for breakfast, self-made as a fold over. All between stunning pines alongside Donner Lake. America and I like two peas in a pod.
There was some training in all this. Spectacular training, which started out at Incline Village, on the annual Xterra USA Championships course at Tahoe
Lake. Sensational course, climbing to the famous flume trail, up and over, onto the Tahoe rim trail, and back down. The sights were breathtaking, the same sights that distracted Stoltz last September before crashing while preriding this course. We sure stopped for a minutes silence at the spot. But that’s in the past, and Stoltz is flying once again. By rare chance we got to see Brown Bear scrambling off into the forest thicket. Must have been the intimidating Caveman sight.
Gary and Gia Mandy, and their little daughter Ella have just moved to Truckee from Hong Kong, and spent great time with them. Special people. Gary is South African, Gia American, and I am real excited to have them a part of a summer in
Truckee next year.
Headed back to Reno, and the camp training had the better on me. Felt shattered, and stayed in for an admin day. But my lights were on dim and DVD’s seemed a better idea. Watched Crash, the Oscar winning film on prejudice in the
US, something I am guilty of, and was deeply challenged by the message. A must see. Stoltz and I successfully procrastinated most of Saturday, before heading back up to Truckee for our long ride of the week. Surreal riding again, through fields of flowers, piles of snow, through enchanted forests, and across huge granite rocks, ending down the old
Donner
Pass. Stayed the night at the Mandy’s, and drove together to DL Bliss on the West shore of Lake Tahoe for our long run along a cliff face that’s one of Conrad’s all time runs. Mesmerizing postcard views round every corner. Did a magic open water swim after in water with visibility to 30feet. The Red Rocket, mentioned in detail in my earlier report, needed surgery. The air conditioner was held suspended by two bicycle inners, but started dragging on the ground last week. Two slices off the knife and the ’87 Rocket was faster than ever.
Went, dressed in usual three quarters, t-shirt, and Puma slops, to help a friend we’d met move some furniture on Tuesday. I could feel the temperatures plummeting, hair straightening, nose watering. A little unprepared and unexpected, but a special moment – my first. Snowflakes came down in graceful dances in every direction. Woke the following morning, to a blanket of white as far as I could see. Wednesday was declared a rest day. Funny that, how exhausted I was slipping into my sleeping bag at 12pm, with a 4am alarm set to make our flight. Tis hard to explain, how normal days are busy, and rest days even busier…
