Eric 1, Train 0

On Saturday I did my first cycling event, the Iron Horse Classic.  I technically did the tour and not one of the race categories, but the idea is to beat the Durango & Silverton Train from downtown Durango to Silverton.  The course climbs from Durango up and over Coalbank and Molas passes with just short of 6,000 ft of elevation gain over 50 miles.

I just bought a road bike last fall and started training in earnest this winter by going to spin class, getting out and gradually increasing my long rides, and working on pushing the hills as much as possible.  In the last couple of weeks before the ride, I did a 60 mile long ride from my house to Purgatory and back, plus drove up partway and did both of the passes as an out and back.  The scene on Coalbank pass two weeks before the ride was pretty incredible, as seemingly the entire population of Durango was out doing it as a training ride.

The morning of the race I dropped Jacob, who was riding the train up with a friend, off at the train station and lined up at the starting line.  I was surprised how few people were there, as the event had sold out its 1,500 person allotment.  I would later realize that the majority of people had started early to ensure they made it over the passes before the cutoff's.

I rode through the Animas Valley with  a pack of riders before hitting the hills about 10 miles in, at which point the pack broke up very quickly.  I was surprised to find that suddenly I was consistently passing people, and this would last for the entire remainder of the ride.  I felt pretty good through the initial 2,000 ft or so of climbing up to Purgatory, after which the real climb up to Coalbank pass started.  I rode strong except for the last 2 miles or so short of the pass, then the suffering started.  Despite my struggles, it was incredibly encouraging to be passing the early starters the entire way.  After finishing Coalbank, Molas Pass is much shorter and I pushed through it before flying into Silverton.

I finished in about 3 hours and 14 minutes, which is probably 20 minutes or so faster than the train.   I really enjoyed the experience - a great ride on an incredibly beautiful course.  It was great that they closed the highway, as I was frequently struck by the silence during the ride.  I went to meet Jacob coming off the train, then found Amy Eichner, my friend who was visiting us from Colorado Springs and had also done the ride.  John Skowlund, a friend who I did some training rides with, did the formal race and crushed the 3:00 barrier.