While Hank and most of the team are hitting the hills of North Carolina, I have been in Arizona getting some long days of training in.
The trip started off in the foothills of Scottsdale, where I rode with Jon Ayers, a strong OA/Cyclemania rider, and Russ Lamer, a friend that is currently living in Scottsdale. The first day of riding was a late afternoon slug-fest through Fountain Hills and up McDowell Mountain. We finished the ride with lights, but we still enjoyed the warm weather.
The second day in Scottsdale was a bike path ride with Russ. It was great to see him again, I hadn't ridden with Russ in at least 6 years! The bike paths in Scottsdale are better than any place I have ever been. They must have over a hundred miles of paved paths! I would like to check them out again on my next trip to the area.
Day three is where the work really began. I drove to Tucson, checked into the hotel, and immediately headed to Mt. Lemmon. I have to say, the climb isn't that steep, but the length and elevation makes it a beast! I ride uphill to a little over 7,000 feet, and had to turn around to make it back before dark. The hairpin descent also took a lot of work (and focus) - I thought going downhill was supposed to be easy!
Day four was also in Tucson, and I got to ride with an old teammate, Ben Forbes. He took me on a 60 mile loop over Gates Pass and through the desert. Temperatures had to be in the mid to upper 80's, which was awesome. It was also great to ride with Ben again! Ben is already in mid-season form because he has been able to ride all winter, and he took more than his share of 28+ mph pulls - I was impressed!
I had originally planned to head to Sedona on the fifth day, but I wouldn't let Lemmon beat me, so day five was Lemmon squared. This time I started early, and I was able to make it over the top and all the way to the town of Summerhaven. I hadn't been there since I mountain biked the area in 1997! The climb up was long, but I focused on maintaining a good tempo pace, and I was able to arrive at the top with relatively fresh legs. The only difficult part was the temperature - it dropped from around 70 at the base to the mid 40s at the top! About half way up the climb, a descending cyclist (Kurt Perham) stopped because he recognized my kit from Maine. He wanted to let me know that it was really cold at the top - nice information to have, but I was determined to finish what I started two days prior - even if it was cold! Strangely enough, I met a couple from Concord, NH when I pulled into Summerhaven. They told me that they live on the Concord Criterium course, and they always watch us go by from their front porch!
I did make it to Sedona on day six, and I decided to mix it up a bit with some mountain biking. If you haven't ever ridden the mountain bike trails in Sedona, you should make it a point to check them out. The trail network is fantastic, the best I have ridden anywhere. I only had my road bike with me, so I stopped by Sedona Bike and Bean for a rental. I met Tony, the owner, and he hooked me up with a high end Specialized that performed flawlessly. Four hours of ripping the trails around Sedona - I never stopped smiling the whole time! If you are in Sedona, make sure to stop by the Bike and Bean. The customer service is first rate - it is a can't miss shop!
Tomorrow may be a travel day, or I might squeek in additional Arizona riding. I am currently sitting in a room in Sedona trying to make up my mind. I would love to be riding with the team in North Carolina, but this isn't too shabby.
Although the training will help build fitness to kick the season off right, and it sure is nice to be riding without snow (mostly), I am really looking forward to seeing my family. My wife has been holding down things around home, which can be tough solo, and my son is in the final week of preparing for the New Balance Indoor Track Nationals. He will be competing at the event in NYC this weekend - I couldn't be more proud.
Anyway, stay tuned to see where the next ride takes place!
Thanks for reading...
Jeff
The trip started off in the foothills of Scottsdale, where I rode with Jon Ayers, a strong OA/Cyclemania rider, and Russ Lamer, a friend that is currently living in Scottsdale. The first day of riding was a late afternoon slug-fest through Fountain Hills and up McDowell Mountain. We finished the ride with lights, but we still enjoyed the warm weather.
 |
| Scottsdale Bike Paths |
The second day in Scottsdale was a bike path ride with Russ. It was great to see him again, I hadn't ridden with Russ in at least 6 years! The bike paths in Scottsdale are better than any place I have ever been. They must have over a hundred miles of paved paths! I would like to check them out again on my next trip to the area.
Day three is where the work really began. I drove to Tucson, checked into the hotel, and immediately headed to Mt. Lemmon. I have to say, the climb isn't that steep, but the length and elevation makes it a beast! I ride uphill to a little over 7,000 feet, and had to turn around to make it back before dark. The hairpin descent also took a lot of work (and focus) - I thought going downhill was supposed to be easy!
Day four was also in Tucson, and I got to ride with an old teammate, Ben Forbes. He took me on a 60 mile loop over Gates Pass and through the desert. Temperatures had to be in the mid to upper 80's, which was awesome. It was also great to ride with Ben again! Ben is already in mid-season form because he has been able to ride all winter, and he took more than his share of 28+ mph pulls - I was impressed!
 |
| Ben the Butcher Crushing it in the Desert! |
I had originally planned to head to Sedona on the fifth day, but I wouldn't let Lemmon beat me, so day five was Lemmon squared. This time I started early, and I was able to make it over the top and all the way to the town of Summerhaven. I hadn't been there since I mountain biked the area in 1997! The climb up was long, but I focused on maintaining a good tempo pace, and I was able to arrive at the top with relatively fresh legs. The only difficult part was the temperature - it dropped from around 70 at the base to the mid 40s at the top! About half way up the climb, a descending cyclist (Kurt Perham) stopped because he recognized my kit from Maine. He wanted to let me know that it was really cold at the top - nice information to have, but I was determined to finish what I started two days prior - even if it was cold! Strangely enough, I met a couple from Concord, NH when I pulled into Summerhaven. They told me that they live on the Concord Criterium course, and they always watch us go by from their front porch!
 |
| Mt. Lemmon - Including snow at the top! |
 |
| Riding Cathedral Trail - Team kits not in yet! |
Tomorrow may be a travel day, or I might squeek in additional Arizona riding. I am currently sitting in a room in Sedona trying to make up my mind. I would love to be riding with the team in North Carolina, but this isn't too shabby.
Although the training will help build fitness to kick the season off right, and it sure is nice to be riding without snow (mostly), I am really looking forward to seeing my family. My wife has been holding down things around home, which can be tough solo, and my son is in the final week of preparing for the New Balance Indoor Track Nationals. He will be competing at the event in NYC this weekend - I couldn't be more proud.
Anyway, stay tuned to see where the next ride takes place!
Thanks for reading...
Jeff
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