Easy Day, Work Day

With the mixed weather forecast, Todd and I decided to take it easy today. While I was on my way out I got a call from the Computer Guy. I was able to get in two hours before I had to get home and to the appointment. All I have to say is that it sucks to try to fix a computer that should probably just be replaced. I don't like taking money from people who don't really have it in the first place. However, it is my job, and I do need the money. Some of the new wireless hardware came today so I'm going to spend some time configuring that.

102 Minutes

Just finished reading 102 Minutes. It's a collection of accounts of victims of of the 9/11 attacks. Some people whose stories are featured in the book survived, some didn't. It's an engaging account, mixing personal accounts with historical anecdotes of the construction of the World Trade Complex. A good, thorough book, that moves with the pace of the 102 minutes between when the first tower was hit and when the remaining tower fell.

"There's no sunshine when she's gone"...

Well not quite, but seriously, there was no sunshine today. Spotty rain and a flat shortened our Kitt Peak attempt. Micro doesn't take tubes with him when he rides, and when he flatted today, decided to ride the five miles back home instead of accept a tube from Todd or I. We were already wet from the rains, so Todd and I went with him.

The place he's staying is nice, if not a mess. It seems like everything is truly half done. We came back over Gates, and I rode up 'A' Mountain. After a protein filled lunch, I lay on the couch catching up on my NPR podcasts. A nap was welcome. Maybe I'll finish my book this evening?

Erin left

Erin left today, which was sad. But before she left we had a delicious breakfast at Franks. It's a breakfast/lunch place in the morning, but in the evening it becomes Franciso's. Excellent food. The drive to and from Phoenix was uneventful and my ride was good too. Kitt Peak tomorrow. Back to the grind.

Vacation day in the desert

Today was a full-on vacation for Erin and I. First stop was Saguaro East. Lots of cacti. Lots of variety in the cacti: species, alive/dead, tall/short, etc. One thing you notice is that no two cacti are alike. I think my favorite are the droopy ones, that kind of resemble spiny weeping willows. They drop some of their little droopy things in order to create a new cactus. The one pictured here is just a baby compared to some that we saw. Speaking of baby cactus, I did find some baby plants though I'm not sure what variety they are.

For lunch we ate at Eclectic Cafe. Another great recommendation (Leo's Special is a great Burro).

After lunch we drove up Lemmon. Initially I just wanted to show Erin some of the climb, but we once we were on the mountain, we just kept ascending until we got to the ski resort at the top. My picture can't adequately capture landscapes, but I took the pictures anyway. The sunset from the mountain was absolutely amazing.

A formal dinner was swapped for a DQ dinner. Couldn't top the day if I tried. More pictures on Flickr.

Jam-Packed Saturday

As not to betray my purpose for being in Tucson, I did the Shootout this morning. I wasn't quite sure why I did, but I'm glad I did. I rode with Ralph, the owner of Fairwheel Bicycle. We talked about how he started his shop, the mining industry around Tucson, and his recommendations for hiking trails in Saguaro East. At the shop on Nogalas I turned left and sped home (ahead of the short-route people).

After a shower and small meal, Erin and I decided to go to Tombstone & Bisbee. It was a nice trip, but Tombstone is way too touristy. Bisbee was much nicer. It's nestled on the hillside, which gives it a New England-y feel. We went far south enough to see into Mexico. It was the closest to Mexico that Erin's ever been.

On the way home we stopped for dinner at Guadalajara Grill, a locally owned Mexican restaurant. The wait was super long, but well worth it. There were great Margaritas and a live, 3-man Mariachi band that traveled between the tables. The food was excellent too. When Erin and I got home at 10:30 Todd had already gone to sleep, so we decided to go to Gate's Pass to watch the stars. We could see so much more than we could in the city. Long but great day.

Erin Arrives!!!

I drove to Phoenix today to pick Erin up from the airport. Instead of driving straight back to Tucson, we decided to visit Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home, studio, and school. The site wasn't in pristine condition, but the tour was good and the experience was great. We stopped at a local bread company on the way out of town for a late lunch and then hit the road for Tucson. We got home kinda late and spent the rest of the evening relaxing while watching The Illusionist.

Up in the Clouds

There are few places on earth were you can hate and love it at the same time. Today, Tucson experienced steady 30mph winds from the ENE. I geared up for a ride to Lemmon (it being the only ride to the NE). I knew I was in for some headwinds on the way there, but I had no idea what I was going to get on the mountain.

It turned out that I faced winds so strong that they nearly blew me over, literally. I climbed to mile 14, Windy Point Vista, descended two miles, and climbed back up. On the way back down there where a few points where I was reduced to 16mph or pushed to 51mph. At times it was miserable and at times it was great. The ride home was nice: 33mph at only 180 watts. Hate it and love it at the same time.

Crazy Recovery

Zach and I began today's ride thinking that Picture Rocks and Gate's might be in the plan. Nope. We followed the bike path for a while, then followed what was left of it after the storm. Let me clarify: there was a little bit of climbing storm grates, a little bit of sand riding, and some fence hopping to get back to a ridable road. It was quite the adventure. As a capstone, we saw a person who had just been hit by a car on the way home.

After making it home, I shed some clothing in celebration of it being so warm and headed out toward the airplane graveyard. Just search google for it, and you'll find lots of stuff from Tucson. I took some photos and headed home with the wind at my back. I was able to motorpace three times on the way home.

Time for the "epic" ride

Today was Zach's last full day in Tucson. With the warming weather and the strong sun, we decided to make the most of it. We chose to ride the shootout route with some extra miles tacked on at various points. After climbing up Mission Rd., we took our first detour: Octillio Ranch Rd. It's a nice off-shoot, through a collection of homes. Much of the conversation pertained to good building practices and where we'd build our water reservoirs if we lived there. Insulate those basement walls people! The view from the top of Mission was down into the valley, where fog still hung in the air. Next detour was up Maggee Ranch Rd. It climbs roughly 1300' from Mission right up to the mountain range on the west side of the valley. At the top there was a bunch of open cattle range. We passed a sign that read, "No Mad Cows Here, Only Happy Cows". Unfortunately, the picture didn't come out, but I'll be back with my camera to snap a better picture sometime. We then proceeded to Madera Canyon. It was a rough climb capped by snow. The road was barricaded about a mile from the top. Zach and I rode through the barricades but didn't make it to far before the road was truly impassable. After a chilling ride down, a brisk pace to the gas station, and some refueling, we climbed back up Helmet Peak to Mission Rd. Zach let me pull most of the way, and I was able to develop a good rhythm. After that it was all downhill to home. Total Ride Time: 7:16; Distance: 120mi; Cal: 4500. A good ride, but man, were we sore.

There one minute, gone the next

The snow didn't stay long. Monday was in the 40's with abundant sun in the afternoon. The ground was wet most of the day, but the snow was gone by mid-day. We got some more photos before it melted.
The first house is the one across the street (owned by my landlord, Colleen). The second house is the one Colleen lives in and where our apartment is (in back).

In the afternoon I had computer work installing a webTV. They're ideal for people who just want internet and email. They're not good for anything else.

SNOW > EVERYWHERE!?!

It may snow in Tucson. It may even snow often above a certain elevation, but it hasn't snowed in Central Tucson for 109 years (according to the news).That's the view outside our apartment.

CAUGHT IN A SNOW STORM!!!

After our wasted day yesterday, Zach and I decided to make the most of Sunday and ride to Mammoth. It's at least a 100 mile ride with plenty of climbing. The sun was (mostly) shining, so we were in high spirits (a sharp contrast to the temperature, which didn't want to rise for the occasion). We made it to Mammoth with ease, we had sunshine most of the way and a descent tailwind (pushing us uphill). At the gas station in Mammoth we watched as dark clouds rolled over us, so we decided to spit in a hurry.

The ride out of Mammoth to Oracle is a elevation gain of some 2200 ft. or so. Zach dropped me plenty of times... as we began to get rained on. The rain did not stop as we climbed. In fact, it turned to snow. Now, I was ready for some bad weather near Oracle, the high point in the ride. I wasn't ready for what happened. The temperature dropped 25 degrees and the precipitation turned from sleet to snow. As we left Oracle I remember thinking that we were making a commitment because the next shelter of any kind was in 10 miles.

We froze; all appendages went numb. It was miserable. I have a hard time remembering when I've been that cold on a bike before. I know it's happened, but I'm sure that I wasn't wet and going 23mph at the same time. We finally made it to Lupe's, mile 91 of Oracle Rd. They were kind enough to keep the coffee coming, while we ate and waited for Todd to pick us up. Let there be no mistake about it: We got caught in a snow storm while dressed for mild weather, and IT SUCKED. There are few words to describe how miserable I was.

As Todd drove us back to Tucson the rain was relentless. We got home, took showers and attempted to raise our core temperatures. Outside the temperature was dropping and the rain was taking a different form...

Wasted day

Zach and I wasted the day away. To our credit, we got his wireless internet to work. We didn't make it to the shootout, and barely made it off the couch. Much iTunes much music was shared however. That's about the only good thing that came of the day. Little did I know that the internet was about to go out for the next four days...

Bad weather

There isn't much good news to report. Thursday was nice in Tucson, but we decided to drive to Tombstone, AZ for our ride. This is the historic Tombstone as you can see from the town's page. They have people dressed up, doing recreation things all day. I felt like poo from the previous two days of riding and didn't even make it to Bisbee. When I got back to the car, I went to sleep in the back seat and waited for Todd and Zach to return. It sucked.

Friday sucked more. A cold rain had set into Tucson, with respites of sunshine. Zach and I thought we'd be clever and cheat the rain. It cheated us, and we ended up soaked and chilled to the bone. NOT what I was hoping for as a recovery day. The muscles just clenched up even more. With more rain and freezing temperatures on the horizon, I don't know if we'll make it to the shootout tomorrow.

Kitt Peak, Todd's 21st, and More Riding

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007 was Todd's birthday. He had decided earlier that he wanted to ride to Kitt Peak for his birthday. It was Zach's first day out here, but decided to go just because it was Todd's birthday. The ride over the the mountain was fast. We had a tailwind and averaged 28-30mph. At the base, Zach and Todd set their own pace, and I settled into mine. It took about 1150 calories to climb the 12.5 miles. At the top I took a breather, ate a granola bar, had some water, and picked up some literature about the observatory. The ride down was freezing cold, but was cake compared to the ride home. Todd bonked and Zach and I had to pull the 40 miles home into a blustery headwind. It was rough, at times terrible, but ultimately it put the ride onto the books as an epic ride.

After getting home and getting a brief recharge, Todd insisted that we go out for his birthday. Zach and I were willing, though not exactly enthusiastic participants (or enablers as it turned out). As one might expect, no one was out on a Tuesday night, so we had to switch to plan B, get Todd drunk. Long story short, we did. He continues to learn about what happened last night as Zach and I tell stories.

Because we stayed up late taking care of Todd, Zach and I didn't get up as early as we had planned. That made us scratch our Bisbee plans, and do an extended version of the Wednesday ride. Once again the wind was strong, but the ride was worth it. If you're coming to Tucson, I definitely recommend Saguaro National Park. The 8-mile scenic route in the park on the east has just been repaved and the park is in great condition. Tues. & Wed.: 6500+ calories. Thursday: Bisbee. Here's just some of what Zach had for dinner to fuel up for tomorrow.

Chilllllllllllly

The ride yesterday was cold. Let's face it, I'm a wuss in the cold. I don't like to be cold, and I don't like to ride in the cold. I made it to the base of Lemmon. I made it up the first few miles of Lemmon. When Todd came by me going down Lemmon, I followed him and nearly froze to death. I was thoroughly unhappy, and my fingers (the parts I could still feel) hurt. I decided to go home. Todd made me feel like a wuss and went back up the mountain. By the time I got close to home my fingers had warmed up, and I got to really feeling like a wuss. I decided to head out west, over Picture Rocks and back over Gates. The day warmed slightly, and I was glad I stayed on the bike.
The evening was spent eating and watching football, 24, and reading.

This morning I went back out to finish the computer repair call that I started last Friday. Much more progress was made and I finished without much agony. There's a lot of money in the Fix-it business. I'm glad to be taking a chunk of it.

Insight into Drugs in Endurance Sports

As I sit here watching NFL playoff football, my mind wanders to the subject of drugs in sport. A few years ago while I was visiting my uncle, he showed me an article from Outside Magazine. The author of the article dopes up on all the best performance enhancing drugs and gives a report of their effects. Under a doctor's supervision he takes EPO, HGH, testosterone, and steroids. The article is a really insightful read, and shows why drugs are such a lure to professional athletes.

I recently finished reading Breaking the Chain by Willy Voet. It's partially about Voet's account of the 1998 Festina scandal during the Tour. All the drugs that WADA is just now able to test for were being used back then. That goes to show that the drug takers have always been ahead of the authorities.

Gray Day

The shootout started this morning under cloudy, cold skies. I know that I shouldn't complain (especially cause it got warmer & sunnier later). The actual ride didn't go so well, and I rode back to Tucson with 15-20 other riders, Micro (Mike Necessary) included. Mike Jones (formerly?) of Health Net was part of that group, which was cool. My early exit from the ride allowed me to make it to the bank before they close for the long weekend. Freakin' hassle for no reason. Also in the news: Zach Reed is planning on coming to Tucson tomorrow and will be staying with us for 10 days. It'll be good to have him here.

new job

I have a new job as of the past few days. I'm a computer repair technician, making more than I would have expected for a part time job. The hours are flexible too. My first call today was a breeze, but the second was a nightmare. I much rather work with new computer than with broken ones. Either way, it's part of the job. Tomorrow: the shootout.

Music Sucks

Joe and Music Sucks have conducted their first interview. I haven't fully reviewed the band's material, but it's worth checking out.

The Day After

Part of the whole losing weight thing is to run a calorie deficit. I think I left that deficit too large after yesterday's ride. From the gate my power and energy level was lacking. I could tell from my heart rate that I was still tired from yesterday's ride. The route we chose was one that we've ridden before, but one that I'm not likely to ride again. It's nice and flat, but the road conditions are terrible. I don't remember it being that bad.

To Mammoth & Back

Today Todd and I rode to Mammoth. It's fifty miles straight north of Tucson along Oracle Rd. The road rises for the first ~37 miles to Oracle, where you begin a descent down to Mammoth. Both Mammoth and Tucson are at roughly 2300 feet, while Oracle is 4500. The conditions were great; it was already 65 degrees at 10 when we left. Although when we got within 4 or 5 miles of Oracle, winds began to pick up and clouds began to form. The temperature felt like it dropped, and Todd and I were reduced to taking 13mph pulls into the headwind. We fought a head wind all the way down to Mammoth.
The return trip was completely different. We had sun the whole way, and a pretty strong tailwind for the first 10 miles south of Oracle. It was nice to be able to cruise at 37mph. The ride ended up being 5.5 hours, 100 miles, and 3644 calories. The first truly big ride of the season.

Monday Night Football

Probably the first time in many years, I watched football on Monday night. Mike came over toting Brooklyn Pizza and beer. The game was good for the first half, but it was kinda sad after that. It reminded me of the Bulls in the early 90's when they would play the Raptors. The Bulls would have the best record in basketball, but still get their butt handed to 'em by one of the worst teams (not meaning to infer anything about Florida). The pizza was a little greasy but good and will be good fuel for tomorrow's ride. Forecast: 70's & Sunny.

Sunday Lemmon

This is the way most weekends are going to be. Saturday Shootout. Sunday Mt. Lemmon. Todd, Mike, Matt, and I rode to the bottom of the climb together. Today wasn't quite warm enough to ride to the top, so I did multiple runs from the bottom of the climb. The four of us started the climb, but Matt soon settled into his rhythm, which was a whole lot faster than I wanted to go. I didn't even try to stay with them. It's gonna take a few weeks to get used to these hills, but I'll come around. All in all, another good day on the bike.

Saturday Shootout

The shootout is the Saturday ride here in Tucson. It starts out easy, but turns to a race pace for about 20 miles of uphill false flat. I didn't do too well, but I'm not going to complain about a ride where I finish with two Sierra Nevada, one Aerospace, one Navigators, and an assortment of other elite riders. Can't find better riding anywhere in the country right now.

Ah, the South West

The ride today (up Mt. Lemmon) was punishing. I came back home and fell asleep. It started to get cold around mile 10, but the road was perfectly passable. This picture was taken at dusk. Gotta love those sunsets. It's supposed to be cold and rainy tomorrow, so it'll be a day for the job hunt.

Sun setting, Moon rising

Yesterday evening, my hosts took me out to Sabino Canyon Park to watch the moon rise as the sun set. The attraction of watching the moon rise isn't to just see the moon, but to see the larger appearance of the moon, which is caused the the atmosphere. My photos didn't come out that well because my camera was made to be small, not to take great photos, but I can assure you that it was worth taking the hike. As the title infers, the sun was setting at the same time as the moon was rising. That offered some good photos as well.

The new home

This is where Todd and I'll be staying for the next couple months.

view of the Mt. Lemon foothills from where I'm staying tonight.

pics

Take a good look at that second picture. Yeah, that's right, it's a motorcycle.

The Real Adventure Begins

Life isn't life without the hard parts. I found out two days ago that the person I had been counting on to have a place ready in Tucson for Todd and I to move into had bailed. He found a place that he could stay for free, and so backed out of living with us. This in and of itself wouldn't have been so bad except that I had been operating under the assumption that he'd already gotten a place for me to move into. The search was on, and long story short, I have a perfect place for Todd and I.

Another part of this adventure was the snow stormed version of New Mexico that I had to drive through last night. I've never travelled long distances after that place had a lot of snow. It's an experience. I'll post pictures when I get to a faster connection. In contrast, the weather here in Tucson is wonderful. Upper 60's and breezy. I'm so glad I followed through with my plans and got my butt out here. Well, time to go out for a ride. Many, many pictures to follow.