Hill training......

Today I started Wednesday hill climbing training with my friend LaVerne, or as I call her, my coach. We tackled the Road to San Juan 6 miles down, then 6 miles up. I wish it would have been the other way around!

The spinning works, and I was able to climb with more ease than ever before. I will never get to a point where I love the hills, but I will get to a point where I can do it.....

I'm looking forward to Wednesday's now, adding an additional day of training....I can't believe we're counting down...30 days...it's time to get a packing list started, making sure my bike is in tip top shape....new shoes....rain jacket...lots of things to do.

I'm going to kick back with shorter rides this weekend and friends are here from out of town to help celebrate my 50th birthday on Monday. 50....1/2 a century....

39 Days and Counting.....

Sunday brought cold sunshine and clear skies to the valley....as we were pulling out on the ride this morning the thermometer read 36 degrees...that's cold.....I wonder if it will be that cold on the trip....should I really break down and get gloves...these are the larger than life questions that I ponder as I ride...ok, I do sometimes think about greater things...

Day 4 on the new seat, I'm really liking it now....39 days to go (WOW that's close!)

Back on the "seat" .....41 days to go....

Ride three with the new seat! Saturday was one of the most beautiful and relaxing rides ever. It was great to be out on the road again after all the rain. While it wasn't raining, we did encounter wet roads, mud, huge puddles...sand and gravel....all good training for the big adventure!!

The new seat was great, the leather must be starting to mould to me...it's hard to believe how a taughnt leather seat can be more comfortable than mega padding, but it is...

The ride on Saturday was a ride I had never done before, and again I was dreaming of being somewhere in TX or AL....uncharted territory....41 days to go.....

The countdown continues.....

The countdown continues, but without riding.....this is getting to be a very scarry thing. I rode last Friday (a week!) second day on the new seat, and it was a struggling day. Here it is a week later, and I still haven't been out.

Family and Job took me out of town for a few days, then I returned to RAIN and then more RAIN, yes, in Arizona. We've had over 1/2 of our annual rain fall in the last 4 days. Flooding, mudslides, tornado watch.....yikes are we in Kansas!

The ride is approaching ever quickly.....and here I sit, not checking out the new seat, not checking out the ride in the rain....

Oh, and next week family comes to visit and help me celebrate the big 50....yikes, I'm getting old....

The great debut....

I got the first ride in today with my new seat! Wow! A Brooks saddle, it was like sitting on a freshly polished church pew, lots of slipping and sliding...it was great, I think this will go down as a wise choice. I am still a bit nervous about making such a big change so close to the ride....

It was one of those "this is why we live in Arizona days" The first time I was able to wear shorts and not long pants and short sleeves in weeks.....it was just glorius.

So, I took a little spin from Javelina, down Frye, to Pecos, out to 17th Ave, then to Chandler. I took the right turn on Chandler as I have done so many times in the past, but today I pedaled past 5th Ave...basking in the sun, and as I rounded a corner, there it was a HUGE incline. As I caught my breath and thought "where did this come from" I remembered a little voice in my head (LaVerne saying one day, "If I let you keep going straight on Chandler, instead of turning on 5th Ave. you would kill me") So, I decied to use it as a teachable moment, and keep on riding, knowing that on the trip, there will probalby be many times when we round corners, and a HUGE incline appears. So, I just kept on riding and pretended to be in New Mexico.......

52 Days and Counting.......

The great news came today! My new Brooks seat awaits me at Javelina Cycles...I immediately took the bike to the shop....great anticipation for tomorrow....I can't wait to try it out.....

53 Days and Counting.......

Sunday was a bit of a slacker ride. After the hard push on Saturday, I opted for a loca ride by myself. I managed to find an almost level path in Ahwatukee. I'll admit I did very little climbing. I wanted to just ride, relax, dream of roads and paths to come, from San Diego to St. Agustine...

I was pleased to note that without focusing, and without pushing that I could hold 14 MPH, that's my new goal. I did manage an average speed of 13.73, I was pleased, and slept well!

54 Days and Counting............

Saturday's ride was rough...."The Ladies" met at the new Tribe, it was great to see the magnificent new store....lots to view and new biking items to check out....we set out to the gate (s mile climb on Via Linda)and the group I was with pushed me harder than I have ever riden before. Somehow, I got with the "fast" group....we rode at 17 - 19 MPH I hung in there, I couldn't believe it when I looked at my meter and I was riding that fast.....however, when we reached the beginning of the incline (prior to reaching the bottom of the 5 mile hill)I was not able to keep that pace...but completeing a 40 mile ride, with a 5 mile incline, along with head winds, in 3.5 hours was a new personal best....just maybe I can do this....

57 Days and Counting......

Took a much needed ride this morning, I know I've said this before but sunrise over Ahwatukee is beautiful. Today as I was climbing the 5th avenue incline, I was imagining being somewhere else....uncharted territory between San Diego and St. Augustine...a new hill that I had never conquered before. I must admit, I got goose bumps, thinking about new and exciting challenges. There will be many wonderful things about this adventure but one of the most exciting to me is that all will be new everyday....never taking the same road twice...I am so looking forward to that!

I have learned from my riding companions who have researched such things that day one out of San Diego we climb 2,000. while I approach that with trepidation, I am also comforted that I have done that (well almost, 1,800 ft.) before. Twice in fact. Once from N. Scottsdale to the Bartlett Lake cutoff and once to the towers in the South Mountain preserve. I think I can do it..... counting down the days....

61 days.....

I tremble a bit everytime I log the day....it's getting closer and closer. Had a great ride today. I now believe I will get back to the level I was before the crazy holiday festivities began. For a while there I was worried that I had lost everything....and that I would be starting at ZERO.

We rode the hills of Ahwatukee...30 miles, still holding the average speed at over 13 mph, which I am thrilled about...maximum speed only got to 28+ today.

I am so thankful for the nice weather, even though it did seem cold this morning at 40+, I heard from one of my adventure co-riders, she was waiting for it to warm up to 30 to head out today. Thank God for Arizona!

62 days......

It was great to be back with The Ladies today, a wonderful ride to start the new year of biking. We were riding right here in Ahwatukee...so the roads were familiar and it felt great to be back riding again.

The stats are as follows: 29.92 miles (just couldn't hit 30), average speed 13.37 and maximum speed 35.8 (my favorite!)

63 days.....the countdown begins

Happy New Year! So, here it is, 63 days until the big adventure starts. I've put most of my extra curricular activities on hold...ready to focus, ride, and continue training for the big ride...

I did take time for one additional movie today, so here's the review - INVICTUS is definintly worth it. I know nothing about rugby, but the story of Nelson Mandella, uniting a very racially divided nation, through the rugby world cup is refreshing and invigorating.....

Now it's back to biking, training, and if my meter ever starts working - stats. I'm eager to try out my christmas present of a new books seat...hope it's all it's cracked up to be...