The race was awesome! I was not prepared for the speeds obtained during the race; average speeds were near 15 mph over the 16 mile long course. Overall Andrea and I did not disappoint our team despite the fact that we were complete unknowns.
We arrived at camp Thursday afternoon around 1:00 PM being escorted by Rick and his wife Judy. I immediately unpacked the bikes (because they were having trouble breathing) and started to get them set-up for the ride. Andrea was busy getting our home away from home ready for the next few days. Our accommodations were a large RV able to sleep 6 and a full size Dodge Charger.
Andrea and I went out for a pre-ride at 4:45 PM and based on perceived lap times we knew we were going to have to hurry to complete the lap quickly before the sun went down. We started out in shorts and short sleeve jerseys and by the end of the lap we had wished we would have put on more clothes. We were surprised at how quickly the temperature dropped even before the sun went down. That night we were alone at camp and we spent most of the time struggling to stay warm. The heater in the RV wasn't working so we curled up under a couple of blankets and a few sleeping bags to stay warm. The next morning we were told that the temperature got down to below freezing (we survived).
The next morning we went into Tucson to find a light jacket for Andrea and a new rear tire for me. It took a long time to navigate through the city streets in Tucson, we did not arrive back at 24 hour town until around 1:00 PM. Rick was already dressed to ride and I could see he was slightly eager to show me around. Andrea decided to stay back at camp as to not tire herself out before the race. Rick and I headed down the singletrack leading into a series of rolling hills that are fairly steep (referred to as the bitches: I did not name them). I let Rick lead out for the first 15-20 minutes and as I hit the third or fourth hill, I hammered up in my large ring. After the rollers (7 total) the road flattens out for a couple of miles before there is a loop around that leads straight south on Coral Trail. I took over the lead at the beginning of Coral Trail and kicked it a little to get used to the trail conditions at speed. I expected more sliding but the trail surface offered plenty of traction. This section of trail is slightly downhill with gradual high speed turns between the cactus and cholla. You can easily maintain 16-18 mph if you ride smooth. The remainder of the lap was moderately paced and we finished in a little over 1:15.
We arrived at camp Thursday afternoon around 1:00 PM being escorted by Rick and his wife Judy. I immediately unpacked the bikes (because they were having trouble breathing) and started to get them set-up for the ride. Andrea was busy getting our home away from home ready for the next few days. Our accommodations were a large RV able to sleep 6 and a full size Dodge Charger.
Andrea and I went out for a pre-ride at 4:45 PM and based on perceived lap times we knew we were going to have to hurry to complete the lap quickly before the sun went down. We started out in shorts and short sleeve jerseys and by the end of the lap we had wished we would have put on more clothes. We were surprised at how quickly the temperature dropped even before the sun went down. That night we were alone at camp and we spent most of the time struggling to stay warm. The heater in the RV wasn't working so we curled up under a couple of blankets and a few sleeping bags to stay warm. The next morning we were told that the temperature got down to below freezing (we survived).
The next morning we went into Tucson to find a light jacket for Andrea and a new rear tire for me. It took a long time to navigate through the city streets in Tucson, we did not arrive back at 24 hour town until around 1:00 PM. Rick was already dressed to ride and I could see he was slightly eager to show me around. Andrea decided to stay back at camp as to not tire herself out before the race. Rick and I headed down the singletrack leading into a series of rolling hills that are fairly steep (referred to as the bitches: I did not name them). I let Rick lead out for the first 15-20 minutes and as I hit the third or fourth hill, I hammered up in my large ring. After the rollers (7 total) the road flattens out for a couple of miles before there is a loop around that leads straight south on Coral Trail. I took over the lead at the beginning of Coral Trail and kicked it a little to get used to the trail conditions at speed. I expected more sliding but the trail surface offered plenty of traction. This section of trail is slightly downhill with gradual high speed turns between the cactus and cholla. You can easily maintain 16-18 mph if you ride smooth. The remainder of the lap was moderately paced and we finished in a little over 1:15.
NOTE: you will find out rather quickly that everything in the desert "bites".
We got back to camp and met up with Chris who would be serving as our team manager. We also learned that Daryl was still struggling to get back from the east coast. I am not sure of the exact path but it involved a few rental cars and a couple of airports to find a flight back to Phoenix. Daryl ended up making it back around 8:30 PM the night before the race, but the lack of sleep took its toll.
Race Start
