200+ miles and 1 flat

Nice and early Sunday morning. It's just before 6am and I'm almost ready for today's 1/2 century ride. As the sun begins to rise, I can see the light of day through the living room windows. I have all my gear, now I need to check my ride supplies. Two water bottles, two spare tubes (into a jersey pocket), one Vanilla Accel Gel and one Espresso Love GU Energy Gel for in-ride nutrition (into a different jersey pocket) and finally, 3 or 4 tissue and the mp3 player in the final jersey pocket.

No time for coffee this morning. Instead, I am drinking water and munching on a Vanilla Crisp PowerBar. In reality, I only eat about half of the PowerBar. The other half goes in my "nutrition pocket" with the gels.

So, looks like I am almost ready. The only thing left to do is go and check the air in my tires. While I am outside checking tire pressure, it appears as though I missed a call from Chris. Oops! I was outside and didn't hear the phone ring, but I bet my wife did. Anyway, the message is exactly what I expected. Just a heads-up to let me know that Dan was there and that they are on their way.

It's not quite 6:30 when I see Chris and Dan roll into the driveway. So, here we go. Looks like this big ride is really going to happen.

As it turns out, it's going to be a few more minutes before we leave. Tom was running a bit late and is going to meet us at my house. We don't have to wait long, as Tom rolls up about five minutes later. So now, the gang is all here and we are ready to go.

We head south on Catalina Hwy and I think to myself. Wow, we kind of look like a team. Four guys on road bikes is kind of impressive. It's kind of a leisurely pace to start. Chris and Tom are paired off in front while Dan and I ride just behind. These guy's rode from Dan's place so they are all ready warmed up. I will need a mile or two to get there.

We make the turn and head east on Tanque Verde, over the bridge and make our way towards Sabino Canyon Rd. As we pass by Udall Park, we see another "team" of three guys riding. Chris and Tom passed them and they gave 'chase'. North on Sabino Canyon and the other team of guys was still with us. Our ride continued past Cloud, past River and we bare right on Sabino Canyon and make the climb up Sabino Mountain. Just on the other side of Sabino Mountain, somewhere around Snyder, I lost sight of the other group (I think they turned off). As we approach the Sabino Canyon and Sunrise intersection, Chris and Tom have come to a stop. Looks like it's time for the first water break.

We spend a couple of minutes here drinking and resting. Time to head west on Sunrise. As is the case with most re-starts, pace is a little slow to begin. This gives us time to talk a little college football (Oregon looked good. Notre Dame and Michigan looked awful). As we pass the Ventana Canyon entrance, it's not long before we get into the rolling-hills of Sunrise. The up and down nature of the road is pretty consistent all the way until we reach Campbell and make a right turn, right by La Encantada shopping center. Apparently, we are headed to Dan's folks place. Not exactly sure where it is, which means I need to stay close to Dan.

A couple more turns (and an extremely steep downhill) and we are pulling into a driveway. Yep, Dan's (and Tom's, of course) parents house. we hang out in the driveway for a few minutes and then, go in to get some water/ice refills from Dan's mom. This was my first time meeting Mrs. Sivilli. She was a very nice lady, with no complaints about fat guys in bike shoes (i.e. ME), click-clacking around her kitchen. I didn't look at my watch when we arrived, but I think we spend about 20 minutes here. This serves at the turn-around point for our ride.

It's not too hot yet, and I feel pretty good. Dan had some Strawberry Clif Shot Bloks and I tried one while we were stopped. Tasty! Rested and re-fueled, we make our way back to Sunrise (I think it may actually be Skyline at this point. Not exactly sure where it changes) and begin the rolling-hill journey back the way we came.

As we pass La Paloma and just before we get to Catalina Foothills H.S. we pass a couple of other riders. One stays with me for a while and wants to talk about the ride. He ask where we have been and where we are headed. Then he tells me that they are on their way back from a ride out to Ina. The conversation was short and very bikeguy-ey. My newfound bike mate wished us well and made his turn onto Swan. We continued on.

Down Sunrise toward Sabino Canyon. At one point, I lost sight of Dan behind me. Had to stop and make sure he didn't get caught by a traffic light or something. Nope, there he is. Chris and Tom are waiting at the Sabino Canyon intersection, but no real stop here. We continue on down Sabino Canyon, over Sabino Mountain and bare left at the North Kolb split, heading toward Tanque Verde.

Dan and I have done this ride before, and this turn from Sabino Canyon onto Tanque Verde is the worst part. Three left turn lanes, crossing two lanes of traffic to get to the left turn lane and just a general high volume of traffic. This morning, however, it was not too bad. Still early enough that traffic was lighter than normal.

While riding west on Tanque Verde, there is a slow and steady climb out of Tanque Verde wash, just after crossing the bridge. That gets us to Catalina Hwy where we hang a left and head north. Up to this point, I'm doing good and feeling fine. I'm not sure if its psychological, but all that changes as we pass by my street. I just got incredibly tired. A few hundred yards earlier, Dan asked if I was going to continue on with them, or just head home. I will continue I said, but I felt great at the time. If he had asked about 2 minutes later, the answer might have been different. In any case, it's too late now. We have passed my street and I am committed to completing this 50+ mile ride.

We make the turn on Prince and head north. Chris and Tom are quite a ways out in front (I have actually lost sight of them). I am trailing Dan. A few minutes after we pass Houghton, Dan pulls off to the side of the road, saying that he needs a break. I continue on for now, I would like to catch Chris and Tom so that I can have them stop for a group water/rest break.

Chris and Tom are waiting at the Prince/Melpomene intersection. I tell them that Dan is coming behind me and I need a break. At this point, it is officially HOT! We find a shady tree off to the side of the road and camp out under it. I'm nearly drained at this point and not to help matters, running extremely low on water. With my energy level down (and the fact that we are over three hours into a ride), it seems like the perfect time for one of my gels. So I reach into my nutrition pocket, and pull out the Vanilla Accel Gel. As I down the gel, we discuss the specifics of the remainder of the ride. Besides the stop at Dan's parents place, this is clearly the longest break of the ride.

Eventually, everyone is ready and we head out again. South on Melpomene to Ft. Lowell. Then east on Ft. Lowell to Conestoga. Conestoga winds it's way south and ends at Tanque Verde. The short jog west on Tanque Verde to Tanque Verde loop. The ride on TVL is not too bad. Lots of tree coverage for shade and the air seems cooler as we pass through the riverbed.

From TVL, Dan and I make the right turn onto Speedway and we will go left on Ridgeside. Once again, we have lost sight of Chris and Tom. But, just as we turn onto Ridgeside, we see Tom. He has gotten a flat and is replacing his tube. I hit him with one of the customary "got everything you need?" lines as I slowly pass by (I'm tired enough that everything I do at this point, I do slowly). Dan and I slow and circle for a bit. But Tom says to go ahead and he will catch up.

So, once again, I begin the Ridgeside climb towards Broadway. Every few minutes, I glance down at my cyclocomputer. My average speed at this point, fluctuates between 5 and 8 mph. Like I said, everything is done slowly. As I reach Broadway, I HAVE to stop. No sign of Chris, Dan and Tom are behind me somewhere, and I need a break. I drag my bike under a little Mesquite tree and in front of a bush. Whatever I can do to get out of the sun at this point. I'm there leaning over my bike, eyes closed for about 5 minutes before Dan rolls up. Deciding that I have found a good location for a break, he joins me under the shade of the Mesquite. Not too long after that, Tom arrives.

We take a couple more minutes to collect ourselves, and then we begin again. At this point, I am 40+ miles into this ride (Dan and Tom are 45+). It's damn hot, everyone (except maybe Tom) is tired, but we are almost done. Less than 5 miles to Dan's place. The climb from Broadway to 22nd on Ridgeside seems to be even more steep and winding than I remember. I reach and make the left onto 22nd (still no sign of Baker). Down 22nd to Melpomene and head south.

I'm completely out of water. Was going to stop at Chris's for water and rest, but Dan and Tom kept moving and Dan's house is close enough that I think I will just refuel there. I make it to Old Spanish Trail, and enjoy a bit of a downhill as OST heads west toward Houghton. Past Houghton, down to 29th and finally Dan's street.

Dan and Tom have reached the end of the day's ride (and if I can get someone to give me a ride home, perhaps I have as well). I ask Dan for some water and a sit down. The water at Dan's is cold and he has the Eagles v. Packers game on the tube. I'm not sure I want to move from this chair anytime soon. I down two water bottles of some of the best water I have ever tasted and I'm feeling MUCH better. Enough so, that I decide I will make the ride home. So, about 20 minutes after arriving at Dan's, I exit for the last 7.5 mile stretch to home.

Riding, but still not moving very fast, I make my way north on Houghton to Tanque Verde. West on TV to Catalina Hwy, and the last straight away, on Catalina Hwy. As I pull into my driveway, in addition to exhaustion, a great sense of accomplishment washes over me. The distance on my cyclocomputer flashes 52 miles. This is the longest single ride I have ever completed. AND, probably the hardest. FWIW, kind of amazing, given our history, that all totaled we rode over 200 miles and only the one flat tire for Tom.

No matter how much I want to, sleep is not in my immediate future. It's late already, after 11:00, and I have things I have to do today. So, I shower and take my wife to Poco & Mom's for lunch. Then errands which include a trip to Sports Authority for a new set of soccer boots, shinguards and ball for my son. When we get back home, I really need to work on the AYSO Region 217 webpage, but that is not going to happen just yet. A nap is in order as I crash on the bed.

For the rest of the day, I can't seem to eat or drink enough. Dan would ask me later how many calories I think we burned on that ride. I have no idea, but whatever the number, it was A LOT.

What a day. What a ride. So, if this is what happens when we ride 50+ miles, I wonder if Chris still wants to do the whole 109 of El Tour De Tucson.

Today's ride link