Well, I went to Las Cruces last Thursday through Monday (10 hr drives on the 1st and last days!) to ride my Mtn & Road Bikes with my buddy Aaron. We did Fri/Sat Mountain Bike Rides. My first 2 since September if you do not count my homemade studded tire rides in the snow around the neighborhood. We did approx 9 miles on Friday in the Desert and yes I got bit several times by cactus and bled out a little from the right leg...Saturday, we rode in a different area (again nothing there but desert) and put in a grueling 18 miles of singletrack with about 1900 vert of climbing - seemed to me and my fat ass like 18000 ft. I avoided the cactus, but on a particular down-hill run, Aaron was leading and kicked up a rock about the size of one of my calfs and it hit me on the right Shin and created an instant bubble the size of a raquet ball. Hurt like a mother too!
Anyway, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I committed to a road ride on Sunday to the White Sands National Monument - great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand engulfing 275 square miles of desert creating the world's largest gypsum dune field. Aaron told me it was about 40 miles from his house. Now I have not been on my road bike since August and knew I would suffer, but I said ok. It turned out to be 50.3 miles - mostly flat, but a gradual uphill for the first 13 miles (10 miles @ approx 1% and 3 miles at avg 4% with 7% sections. ) Then a long (and I mean Long) gradual downhill. Then it was flat to rolling - mostly flat the rest of the way with a little cross wind at our back at first, but as we turned to the north, we took it from the front. We averaged right at 19, and my HR avg was a huge 157. I was spent but felt good and exhausted. We rode sleds on the sand dunes, ate a picninc lunch with the families and drove home a few hours later....
Aaron and his father (60+ yrs old and strong) have applied for the Leadville Lottery. If picked, we will be doing the leadville 100 this year. Wish the Mafia was going to be better represented! Anyway, I started to feel tightness in my chest on the ride home. I coughed up a storm Monday night and Tuesday. I believe I have Bronchitis - and since I get it every year, I am glad to get it early and out of the way! I have been training in the gym and have gone from 211 lbs on Jan 1st, to 202 now. So hopefully, I keep dropping the weight and can hang with you guys in Sedona!
Speaking of Sedona, I would like to get a head count at some point in time. My inflatable mattress got busted, so I am hopeful Thomas can bring his. Aaron may join us but is unsure as he may be going to Moab the same week...Anyway, remember, we are staying at the The Ridge on Sedona Golf Resort 55 Sunridge Circle, Sedona, Arizona 86351 United States Map and Directions.
I will provide the fact sheet on my next posting! Happy Riding!
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