OK -- so I am terrible at posting on this blog but now I have a renewed sense of purpose and I will do my best to blog daily the training, the feelings, and struggles along the way -- today we are at T-Minus 196 days until the start of IronMan AZ 2010.
As I referenced on Facebook today (my first choice in updates) Today was supposed to be out 3 hour training ride zone 2-3 flat to rolling ride.....well we chose to hit part of the IronMan course and now we have a sense of what to expect.....gradual uphill from basically Gilbert to Shea..We started off at 4:15 am from Lindsay and Elliot (abt 2 miles from each of our homes) and began the long journey up Lindsay to McKellips....then took Mckellips to Gilbert and then North to the 87 (Beeline Highway). It was dark still and Glens light on his bike surely lit our path as the construction zone on Gilbert up to beeline was littered with stuff --- so be careful and watch everything to avoid the debris and potholes....
once we got on the 87 north east toward Payson the head wind hit of course (as it always seems there is a headwind no matter the direction on a bike) and we found that from Gilbert all the way up to Shea then a slight downhill past Ft. McDowell and then hills again for the next 8 mils straight to the Bush Hwy. We stopped only 2 times for hydration and gu (Me) or shots (Glen) but it was nice to get off the saddle even only for the 1-2 min or so. Getting on the Bush hwy heading south toward Saguaro Lake was a very scenic ride, with some nice drops out of the 2190 feet in elevation we climbed on the Beeline. Hitting 38-39 mph on the curvy roads was fun, but with no real bike lane it can be a bit unnerving at times as well...then came back the hills -- first a monster hill, then basic rolling washes as we past the lake and up to the Usery Mountain turn off for our next 304 mile jaunt up the back side of Usery. We went spent as it was before Usery on hills, but we got through it with only a nominal amount of complaining and whining (lol).
Once at the top -- one more hydration stop and then hopefully flying down the hill on Ellsworth to Guadalupe....which of course had a headwind heading down --- so when we started in was slight wind from North to South, then due west as we headed up Beeline, then nothing of real measure on Bush or backside of Usery until the downhill where it was slightly northeasterly (impeding our progress to hit 35 or more mph again as we descended east Mesa. Finally at Guadalupe we caught a tailwind for about 5 miles --- passing Jeff Rowe heading East (not that we recognize each other with trying to concentrate on riding, but Jeff mentioned he saw us so that is cool. Back to Lindsay & Elliot before we split to head our respective directions to home....all in all a great ride - more hill than we needed but it will help in the long run, I mean ride, wait I mean both....
Total time in saddle 3:38:30 for 64.34 miles / 17.4 avg (lots of hills) and 4404 calories burned for the morning.....It was good to get a shower then eat...Its 1:40pm now and as I type this I am not as tired as I suspected (getting up at 3:45 to go) but I am certain I will feel it later -- maybe a power nap this afternoon and bed early as it is the long run tomorrow for us, and it is Mother's Day...so help the kids pamper the wife.....and make sure it is fun and relaxing for her........
I will post another entry (and maybe once and a while post a pic or two from the iphone) of our training program this week (week 10) and then blog subsequent days for feel, struggles and nutrition -- the largest struggle for me.......
Later,
Gabe
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