After a week in Tahoe sleeping at about 6000 feet and skiing every day, I was pretty psyched to come home and go for a ride at sea level! I took some of the women I am coaching for Death Ride out this morning for a fairly climbing intensive ride. It got super cold and windy up on Mt. Tam, but I have to say the extra little red blood cells I grew while in Tahoe did their job. It's always fun to come back down to sea level and feel like you are a total climbing rock star! I almost stayed with the Team Spine boys on the climb up from Alpine Lake - almost!

Of course, all the extra red blood cells will be long gone by next week's 120 miler. Sigh!