Wow, what a difference a 3 hour drive makes! When I left the Front Range this AM it was not even 50 degrees...and it was cloudy and raining. Once I get to around 9,000 ft, the skies cleared and temps soared to over 70 degrees. With the course looming in the background the anticipation for Saturday's 10 PM start is super high. It's time to get out on the early miles of the route and do some opener intervals to prep the legs for the high alpine onslaught in a few days time.