It started at 4:30 with the alarm clock, packing the car with bikes, a short drive and then a ride to the start line of the El Tour de Tucson...the biggest perimeter bike race in the USA. We got there about 5:30, but about 5000 people were in line before us....
We stood around (Chelsey and I) trying to stay warm till the gun went off at 7AM. Then we stood around for another 15 minutes till the 5000 people in front of us headed through the gates.
What ensued was my second ever organized road race and Chelsey's first (she gotten a free entry the night before!). 109 miles long, the "goal" for me was to beat 5:00 and qualify for Platinum status so that I could race with the pros in the front next year.
Well starting at the back makes it hard....seeing as there were about 4800 people to pass before I could hope to get on a paceline with people going fast enough to beat the 5 hr mark. I gave it my best effort but finished exhausted and about 15 minutes shy. But I didn't crash, although at one point the group of 20 I was in had a guy go down and take out 7 others....somehow I avoided the 25 mph carnage.
Chelsey finished in just over 6 hours, but got no time to enjoy the post race festivities....true to form she was packing it in. Finishing at 1:30, she had to be at the yoga studio at 2 PM for 5 hours of yoga teacher training, including 3 hours of asana. So we were off on the next leg.
She made it at 2:04, I went and got us recovery smoothies, and returned to teach said training from 3PM - 7PM. Then we drove home to pack for the Joshua Tree retreat, which we are now about to drive to. Maybe we will sleep next year.
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