I am training for a 120 mile ride in the Pintler Mountains this August. It's  going to be a challenge, I live right at sea level. I am excited but anxious. The CHaFE was a pretty grueling ride, some of those hills we long assed climbs, not to difficult to complete but I actually got off my bike and walked a quarter mile during that ride, I've never done that before.

So I am diligently trying to train for the Missoula Symphony ride, I need to be prepared for this high altitude riding. I know it won't be easy since I live at sea level and have for 25 years.  I know I have to eat right, seriously, no bad snacking as is my bad, bad habit. I am pretty good at forcing myself to comply, but it isn't easy. No chocolate anything, well not really, I have chocolate goo. . It's not that good. The chocolate thing was a really nice try on their part, but... well... I've tried huckleberry too. It helps keep needed energy up during the ride.  So I am going with the old standby, lean meats, small portions, lots of fresh veggies steamed or raw, fruits, nuts, beans, and grains and not much bread. I can't ever really quit bread, no I just can't. If that has to be a goal, I fail over and over again.  I do try to limit my bread intake, I know I should for now. 

So I have had to stop myself from baking anything. I love to bake, and bakers at least test their creations, so while I am training, I've banned myself from baking, it's better that way, I don't have to justify cheating.

I've stepped up the training miles. I wasn't prepared well enough for the Chafe, I needed to step up the practice miles, but I stayed doing around 50 on average, but never stepping it up to some 75's or 100's and then to a big more. I should have done that, since I can whip out a 50 from my doorstep.  So I can do that, but I have the added training for this high altitude thing! Some of the ride is over 6000 feet, and that is the part that is going to be the biggest challenge of all, enduring the entire ride. I can't adequately train for the ride, I suppose I could ride the road to Paradise on Rainier, but there are far too many people driving up to the glacier nowadays and not much room on the road to be safe with cyclists.

So I've concluded there is no real way for me to train for a high altitude ride without riding some high altitude rides! And I have not been able to do that, we will be in Montana the week before the ride, so we will definitely ride once  or twice before we take the trek to Pburg to ride the Pintlers.  It should be beautiful. My Montana peeps are showing up to cheer us on!

I will be photographing the ride and will be writing about the ride.

Here are a couple of pictures I found around the web. Montana is just a beautiful place. The first photo was found at whiskey-flats.com, they sell real estate.

The picture from the Pintlers wiki-page.

Crossposted at: Cycling-America