Steve, NU, John:
Thanks for the suggestions! One week into the training - my whole body - hips, knees - is sore!!! My trainer is making me do: 4 days weight training (2 days upper and 2 days lower, ending with 20 mins yoga each day), one day biking (about 36 miles round trip in the undulating flat lands of northern Illinois) and one day hiking (5 or 10 miles). Today is my rest day.
I did drive both on the OV and Horse shoe meadow roads in the past. Biking up HSM road !!! That would be 10000 ft up into the clouds! May be for a challenge in the future. I don't mind biking up to 5000 ft. I am not ashamed to get off the bike and walk (that would be hiking, right
if I run out of gas!
My nightmare biking would be going downhill - Some time back I did copper triangle in Rockies and coming down from Tennessee pass I found myself in the middle of a pace group, looked at the speed - it was around 30mph down hill! So slowly nervously backed out in those dizzy switch backs.
So I am rather glad my LA nephew is coming with me and I may avoid coming down hill altogether. I will just wait at the OV CG for him to drive up & pick me up as my whole focus at that point would be on my very expensive titanium dental implants
