Glorious Ride

It was an unbelievably beautiful day today here in Tucson. I decided to forgo a day in the valley for a day in the mountains, Mt. Lemmon that is. On the way over, I caught up with a few a few of the same guys I rode with Sunday. On the way up I was passed by none other than Tom Danielson of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. He went past me like I was going the other direction. Not long after, I caught up with him and (who I assume to be) his coach; They were stopped on the side of the road. Not two miles later I was passed again by Danielson. It gave me chills to see (for the first time) how fast Pro Tour riders can climb.

As for my climbing, I felt great. It was the first time on a climb that I really felt good. It showed too. I ascended to Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley roughly twenty-five minutes faster than I had the previous year. As I was nearing the top, Danielson passed me again (going down this time). After making it to Ski Valley, I descended to the Mt. Lemmon General Store in Summerhaven to get water. The ride back down the mountain was quick and uneventful.

At the bottom I caught up with Aidan Charles, a neo pro for Nerac. We had a nice chat before parting ways. Although I took 4 sandwiches, it turned out to only be a three sandwich day.

The bike got a wash this evening, and I got a rain jacket. It's hard to beat $10.55 for a rain jacket. Big ride tomorrow @ 10 from the university.