I had two 3-3.5 hour rides for Saturday and Sunday. I didn't start to get ready for my ride until close to 11 am on Saturday, then when I got to my road bike, I discovered that my rear tire was flat (which is becoming a norm now that those tires are getting close to 4000 miles...yeah I need new tires). After a putting a new tube and doing other stuff, I finally rolled out the door past noon and as soon as I got to the end of the block I knew I was in for a treat. The flags were pointed straight to the Northeast. My planned route had me going South then West then South again, so that meant I had a head wind with gusts up to 20 MPH all the way. There were two occasions where the wind gusts blew me off the shoulder and onto the dirt. Thankfully it was somewhat smooth every time I went off road. With a lot of the fields freshly plowed, there was a lot of dust blowing which didn't help. After a little more than 2 hours of slow going against the wind, I decided to turn around and cruise home. And cruise I did. Now with a tail wind I was able to maintain 28+MPH with little effort. Unfortunately the wind change a little before I got home, so I had to battle with it for a couple more miles before getting home, however it took me a little over one hour to cover the same distance I had in 2:15.
That evening we went to Jay and Melissa's home for an early X-mas party. Lots of food and treats not to mention lots of bike talk. Thanks to Jay and Melissa for hosting a great party.
The next morning, the wine and eggnog effect prevented us from opening our eyes before 9 am. James and Katia had called the day before and wanted us to meet them at White Tanks. I called them as soon as I got up to confirm. Thankfully they were just leaving Prescott, so we had some time to get ready and head to the other side of town.
On the way to White Tanks I realized we had not only forgotten my riding jersey and my heart rate monitor, we also forgot our snack box with all the treats. We got to trailhead and I changed onto my bib and base layer outfit then realize it was too chilly, so I put a green long sleeve t-shirt on top to go with my red and black short (Very well coordinated). Norma and I rode part of the course while Katia and James got there.
My plan was to explore some of the other trails in the park. James was in childcare duty, so he didn't ride. As Katia and Norma headed for the competitive track I rode to Mesquite Canyon and rode a similar route to what Art, Brian and I had ridden a few weeks ago. Once at the top after 1.5 hours of climbing, I decided to turn around and follow Ford Canyon. The first few miles were fun. Tight single track. Sharp turns and steep little climbs, however once I hit the Ford Canyon wash all the fun went away. The sandy open sections were too soft to ride then the rocky sections were impossible to ride. Then I got to the White Tanks. Huge granite water reservoirs impossible to ride and very dangerous to walk on, especially on cycling shoes. On some sections I had to lower my bike then slide on my stomach to get down from one part of the granite slab to the next. This went on for over 1 hour of which I only rode 5 minutes at the most in increments of 30 seconds. Eventually I made it to the lower portion of the trail and was able to ride a little more. Hungry, cold, thirsty and tired, I made it back to the car just as Norma and Katia were finishing their third lap of the course. Note to others. Don't bring your bike to Ford Canyon trail. In fact don't even try to hike it unless you are an experienced hiker.
So on the drive home I was thinking, I hope something out of these two rides help me shave off a few seconds here and there during a race, so when I stand on top of a podium next season, I could look at rides like those and felt good. For now, I just want some food and warmth because it was cold out there today!
On a separate note, the Vikings were in town and beat the Cardinals, so that was good, however we had to deal with all the traffic leaving the game, not so good!
Out!
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