We are having fun...you are stuck in Fort Collins

Honestly, I HATE riding tempo. For non-cyclists this is a level of intensity where the body is far from destroying itself but hard enough where conversation on the bike is a challenge. My genes were not engineered to settle into a pseudo hard pace for hours on end. I instead prefer to go really really fast or snail-like slow. So what does my coach do? That's right, he fabricates my ride schedule to include hours and hours of tempo riding.

I am incredibly gracious and forever indebted to my friends/teammates/lobster-colored chamois-clad partners (Patrick) for their patience with my "tempo" frustration. Because any relationship is all about balance, they understand my need for guidance in this arena and they happily extend their legs to help me get the most from my training.

Please see the next post for Patrick's description of today's objectives and accomplishments. Please keep the aforementioned in mind and recognize that Patrick basically towed me around all day.

I Hate the Desert

So I decided to brave today's ride with SPF 50 sunscreen despite the fact that my legs are a nice cherry red hue from yesterday's massive brain fart (maybe even a shart). I thought maybe I could turn them into a nice crimson color-- I like crimson better anyway. The crimson being from the blood that started seeping out of the 3rd degree burns on my legs... Just kidding, I exaggerated greatly. My legs aren't bleeding, but they are pretty red. Because of my sunburn, I now rescind all the complimentary things I had to say about the desert and would advise people not to move here or visit. Anyway, I digress... Phil (Pocket Rocket, as I have endearingly nicknamed him) and I set off today with the goal of doing 160 km (100mi). We rode 77.5 km out Carefree Hwy onto Cave Creek Rd and climbed out of the valley and into desert abyss. We rode so far into nothingness that there was nothing-- not even paved road. We did 15 km of washboard dirt which truly tested my girlish upper body physique. We then decided we had had enough dirt and we turned around and headed back. I motored across Carefree Hwy and down Lake Pleasant intermittently letting Pocket Rocket out of my pocket for his sprint intervals. We ended the day doing loops in the circular community of Sun City West (which has more golf cart driving elderly folk than I can shake a cane at) just so that we could get to 160 km. I ended up just shy of 4,000 kJ, but thank God I could enhance my sunburn. I must go bathe in aloe vera now. I look happy, but it's a facade...

From the Desert with Reddened Rage,

Patrick