FINS - Final Ride of 2009

Distance: Approx. 8
Notes: I wanted to get one last ride in for 2009. I faithfully got my work done this morning and then slipped out in the afternoon. It has been awhile since I rode FINS so I figured it would be a good trail to end the year on. Unfortunately it takes me an hour to get there now. I rode Eileen's Entry to Proposal Pass over to the Bone Yard and up over Hurts Donut, back around on the north side of the hill where I played around on a new section of trail they are cutting. Then up over Kylie's Crossing and up Grunt. At Mark's Meander I heard some gunfire and so I headed out on Mark's to make sure I was not going to get shot. I didn't see the shooters but I did find another new section of trail that runs parallel to the west of Mark's Meander. Then I rode backwards on Mark's back to Grunt and up Exposure to NorthStar. I snapped a photo of the sunset then proceeded to bomb down NorthStar. I made it 2/3's of the way down and blew my rear tire. I figured that was an appropriate end to the year as well. I had a bit of trouble fixing the flat because the nut that holds the Presta valve in place would not come off. It kept getting twisted near the bottom. Finally I was able to get it off, but two things are going in my backpack, pliers and a knife. My only spare also had a hole in it, so I patched it and got back on the trail. I finished by going down Harv's Howl. I started 2009 on the mountain bike at Hawes and ended it on the mountain bike at FINS. That's a good way to start and finish a year.

National Trail: Coast-to-Coast

Distance: 16.5
Fellow Riders: Mike, Todd, Russ
Route: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/21329252
Notes: One word can best describe doing National Coast-to-Coast: Epic. It is a brutal trail and those 16.5 miles are very tough miles, even the last 3 on the pavement, because it was basically all uphill.
I was supposed to meet Mike and his brothers-in-law at the Javelina trailhead at 11, but couldn't get out the door till 11:15. They were also running behind. As it was they got started on the trail about 20-25 minutes before me. They took a slower pace for the first part and I busted it as hard as I could. I caught up to them where Mormon Trail hooks up with Mormon Loop. From there we continued on National to the parking lot at Buena Vista Lookout. We stopped for a short nutrition break and then continued on National to the very end.
The mood on the trail grew a little sour toward the end because Russ was supposed to be meeting a friend and going to the BYU basketball game in Tucson tonight. They were supposed to leave at 4 and we didn't even get to the truck until 4:45. As it was he missed the game. But for the last hour of the ride Russ was basically ticked that he was still riding and missing the game. The fact that Russ seemed more exhausted than everyone else further contributed to his sour mood. I enjoyed the ride for the most part. Granted, I was totally exhausted at the end and I could not wait to be done. But I had a good time and I'm glad I did it. However, I don't think I will ever do that ride again. The second half of National just is not good enough to justify the work. I did all that climbing for a descent that was just okay. Whereas, had we turned around at Buena Vista and headed back the way we had come, that is some of the best downhill anywhere.
So I've checked Coast-to-Coast off my list and from now on will be sticking with out-and-back.
Also while we were on the trail Todd managed to ride down Waterfall rock. He picked a good line right against the big rock and made it look easy. Maybe next time, when I'm wearing my knee/shin pads, I'll try it.
This will most likely be my last ride of 2009 on the mountain bike. Mike and I are hoping to hit Hawes on New Years Day. But my bike desperately needs some servicing. Too bad I can't afford it.

Hawes sans breakfast

Distance: 10.5
Fellow Riders: Mike
Notes: Before leaving for the ride this morning I stopped at McDonalds for a sausage and egg McGriddle. I figured the hour drive to the trailhead would be plenty of time to digest the heavy breakfast. Turns out I was fine until Cardiac Hill. I rode all the way to the top of Cardiac without stopping at the flat section 3/4's of the way up. But when I did get to the top I didn't feel so hot. Had I just rested for a minute and then kept riding I probably would have been okay. But instead Mike and I visited for about 3 or 4 minutes and my stomach turning just got worse. I warned Mike who backed up, then I made my way to the edge of the trail and let it fly in three separate bursts. Mike couldn't even watch for fear that his gag reflex would be triggered and he would be joining me.
In my 15 years of mountain biking this is my first time yaking on the trail. It was not a pleasant experience, but I did feel better afterward. And Hawes is always a sweet ride.

Road Ride

Distance: 19.8
Time: 1:03
Average Speed: 19
Notes: Explored the Skunk Creek trail to the west. Rode past Rio Salado Park and then came up the other side. Took a spur out to 91st & Greenway then back and another spur up to Bell & 101 and back. Ultimately crossed bridge back to Rio Salado Park and back home. Felt good after a long break. Now I just need to stretch so I won't be sore tonight and do it again tomorrow.

Secret at Secret

Distance:
Fellow Rider: Mike
Notes: Mike showed me the new secret at Secret Trail. It is a trail that takes off from the Graskey side up the hill to the south.

Road Ride

Distance: 14.2
Average Speed: 18.1
Notes: Happy with my average speed after 3 weeks off the bike.

White Tanks

Distance: 11.5
Fellow Riders: Mike
Notes: After a couple of weeks off due to a softball injury I finally climbed back on the bike this morning. It was my first time at White Tanks in ages. Mike and I did the technical loop twice but only had one switchback climb in us. As much as I love the downhill after the switchbacks I just didn't have the energy to go up again.

Road Ride

Distance: 17.3
Average Speed: 20.2
Notes: Went out for a late afternoon ride. Felt good and pushed hard, was able to maintain an average of over 20 mph on a level road. Started cramping a little on the way back but was able to avoid stopping.

Road Ride to Stetson Valley

Distance: 15.3
Average Speed: 19.1
Top Speed: 40.2
Notes: Rode up and over the hill between Deer Valley and Pinnacle Peak. Continued north on 55th Avenue and rode past Deem Park hooked up with Stetson Valley Parkway until it dead-ended. It is beautiful up there with all of the hills around. There is a gravel bike path up in that area that it would be fun to try on the mountain bike. Not that it would be a challenge mountain bike excursion, but it would be fun to explore what's there. I'm curious if it goes up and over to where Bob & Kathy live. On the way back down the hill by Thunderbird Park I hit 40.2. I probably could get a little faster but I'm paranoid about wiping out and getting run over.

Road Ride

Distance: 24.2
Average Speed: 19.2
Notes: Road the trail system down past I-17 and back.

Road Ride

Distance: 10
Notes: Late start this morning. I almost didn't go, but decided I needed some exercise.

Road Ride

Distance: 23
Notes: Rode the bike trail down to 23rd Ave, just east of I-17 and MetroCenter. Felt good. Swam a few laps in the pool when I got home.

Thunderbird Park (Unintentionally)

Distance: 5
Notes: So this morning I set out to ride Trail 100. It's been a long time since I've ridden there and even longer since I rode west of Dreamy Draw. I decided I would start from the 7th Street Trailhead since it was the closest. I had a flat on the front from my last ride at FINS, but I planned on changing it at the trailhead before I began. The drive is only about 20 minutes, but it was a little longer with traffic. I was almost to the trailhead when I realized I left my backpack at home. I had filled the bladder the night before and store it in the fridge to keep it cool. Unfortunately out-of-sight means out-of-mind and I left this morning without it. I packed two extra tubes, both of which were in my backpack. When I got to the trailhead I double checked by duffle bag, but alas, no tubes there. I tried the tire and it was still leaking air quickly. Frustrated, I got back in the car, hoping there was a Target or Walmart near by to buy a new tube. I drove a couple of miles and found a Target, but Target is not open at 7 am. Then I saw a Fry's nearby. I thought they might have a tube since the Fry's by our house carries some bike stuff. But as I prepared to turn into the parking lot I realized that I didn't have my wallet either. So now I'm even more frustrated. I drove back home ready to give up on a ride altogether. I had already wasted an hour of my day running around and was not in the mood anymore. But when I got home, I felt like I still needed to get out. So I ran in and got my backpack and headed to the nearby Thunderbird Park.
I decided to ride the South trail since I've ridden the North trail the four times I've been to the park. The South trail is actually a little more interesting than the North, but the same problems exist -- it's too short and there are way too many hikers. Nevertheless, I still got a ride (a short ride, especially for the amount of time involved).

Road Ride

Distance: 13.5
Notes: Rode 59th Avenue up and over the foothills between Deer Valley and Pinnacle Peak Roads and past the new temple site. It was a nice road ride, although there's not much of a bike lane for a good portion of it. Still I got in a good climb and hit 39.5 mph coming down the hill.

Thunderbird Park

Distance: 13.4
Notes: Nice Saturday morning for a ride so I pedaled down to ThunderBird Park. I usually have to deal with several hikers on this trail, but this morning, as I approached the park I could see hikers dotted all along the trail. When I started up the trail I decided to count how many hikers I passed. I expected that I might pass as many as 50. I was shocked, and likewise unable to ride that fast, when I passed a total of 117 hikers, 8 dogs and one fellow mountain biker. The trail is not that great of mountain bike trail to begin with, but dealing with that many hikers on a short 4 mile loop just kills it.

FINS

Distance: 8.2
Fellow Riders: Mike
Notes: First ride with Mike in several weeks (since Spencer's farewell ride at Hawes). Also my first time back at FINS in a long time. It was a fun ride, though not very strenuous. Since we didn't ride to the trail together we had to do our socializing along the trail. That meant about three long breaks on the trail just chatting.

Black Canyon Trail

Distance: 18.9 miles
Ride Time: 1:37
Average Speed: 11.7
Notes: I've been wanting to try the Black Canyon Trail for quite some time now and Labor Day gave me an excuse. I parked at the E.L. Henderson Trailhead off the New River Exit (#232) of I-17. The trail is definitely a cross-country style trail. There were no major climbs or hairy descents on the portion I rode. Still I had fun exploring a new trail and despite the relatively moderate terrain, the trail did manage to dump me on my head once (although I'm going to chalk that up to rusty skills due to my lack of riding lately).
From the trailhead I rode North to where the trail splits on what is called the Boy Scout Loop. I took the East loop, which was predominantly single track with some exposure and loose rock on the trail. When I got to the point where the trail reunites with the West loop I stopped to drink some water and chow on a Powerbar. While I was resting a hiker came down the trail from the North. I visited with him for a few minutes and inquired about what was further ahead. He explained that the trail climbed a short distance to a summit and then descended toward the Mesa Table Trailhead. I had planned to take the West loop back South but decided to first keep going North to the summit. It ended up only being 0.6 miles to the summit. The climb was relatively easy, but did provide for a bit of downhill on the way back.
I then took the West loop South to the point where the trail initially split. The West loop consists of a much wider trail, mostly double track, but smoother than the East loop. When I got the point where the trails reunited I turned around and went back the way I came. This way I was able to ride the East and West loops in both directions.
While this is certainly not a favorite trail and one that I will be anxious to ride every month, it was fun to explore. It also makes me want to do an epic ride of the entire Arizona Trail from the Utah border to Mexico.

Road Ride

Distance: 14.3
Ride Time: 0:50
Average Speed: 17 mph
Notes: Rode the trail system near the new house today. All was well until my back tire went flat at my turn around point and I had no spare. I limped it back to the house stopping to pump it up about 7 times. Passed Dad Boushley on the way back as he was on his way out.

Trail 157 & South Fork

Distance: Approx 10
Fellow Riders: Michael Hancock
Notes: Oh to be back in Utah. I didn't bring my bike up for family reunion but called Michael to see if he wanted to ride anyway. He was available so I rented a bike from BYU Outdoors Unlimited and we went out for a ride on Trail 157 to Cascade. That is still my favorite trail from Utah. Then on the way home we stopped and rode South Fork. It made me miss living in Utah and made me want a new bike.

Hawes Trail

Distance:
Fellow Riders: Mike & Spencer
Notes: Last ride with Spencer before he moves to Colorado. Everyone was feeling a little out-of-shape due to a lack of riding. It was great fun on one of my favorite trails in the Valley.

Thunderbird Park

Distance: 12+
Notes: Rode from new house to T-bird Park. Rode the loop counterclockwise, which is more fun. After more than a month off the bike I was struggling.

FINS

Distance: 6.4
Fellow Riders: Spencer
Notes: Feeling winded with so little riding lately. But a fun fast ride today.

Quick Neighborhood Sprint

Distance: 4.06
Ride Time: 13:42
Average Speed: 18.3
Notes: I'm feeling like my muscles are beginning to atrophy. My rides are fewer, further apart and shorter. I need to get serious again. Tonight I had to go out quick just because I had been working indoors on a computer all day.

FINS

Distance: 7.8
Ride Time: 0:52
Average Speed: 9
Fellow Riders: Mike & Spencer
Notes: It was a hot afternoon. We started about 5:45 pm. We took a different route than what I had taken before. Up Harv's Howl, to Jim's Star Pass to North Star, down Grunt, left around Roman's Rise, then instead of Randy's Ridge we took the new trail around the hill, Spent Spade to Muriel's Mile, around Boneyard, up Hurts Donut and back down to the entrance. I went down once and bruised the palm of my right hand while catching myself. I have a feeling that is going to smart for a couple of days.
On the way down Grunt we saw turtle in the middle of the trail. We moved him off the trial and I posed for a picture with him. I'll post it here once Spencer emails it to me. Hopefully it's not some endangered species that I'll go to jail for touching.

Memorial Day @ Hawes

Distance: 9+ (cyclometer blanked for a bit)
Fellow Riders: Mike
Notes: First time back at Hawes since I broke my face on New Year's Day. It was good to be out on one of my favorite trails. But as always, there is never enough time to ride all the routes I want. I'm going to have to come out here alone sometime, when I don't have to worry about anyone's schedule but my own.
We rode it a little different this time. Same route as usual up to the mine, but then we turned around and went back down. It was interesting trying things a little differently.

Road Ride

Distance: 15.3
Ride Time: 49:08
Aveage Speed: 18.6
Notes: It was cloudy, rainy and cool all day. I was able to slip out at 4:30 for an afternoon ride.

FINS

Distance: 7
Fellow Riders: Mike & Spencer
Notes: So I managed to slip out for a quick mountain ride at FINS tonight. The weather was cool but quite windy, we almost got blown off Grunt.

Finally Back in the Saddle

Distance: 21.4
Ride Time: 1:08
Average Speed: 18.9
Weather: Cloudy & 80 degrees
Notes: So after a week and a half since the 100 miler, I finally climbed back on the road bike. (Oh, I have taken the girls for a couple of spins around the neighborhood with them on the handlebars, but that was only a couple of miles of riding.) I just felt like I needed a little break. But then I got into the bad habit of sleeping in, so I it was harder to back out. Even today, I slept until 7:40 and didn't get in the saddle till after 8:00.
I rode out to Estrella Parkway and back. I had a tailwind going out and therefore a headwind coming back, but still I felt really good the entire ride. I've decided I would like to a mountain bike race this year. Since there is only one race left this season, I guess that will be the one I do. It is the State Finals in Flagstaff and will be on June 13. I am hoping to get up and pre-ride the course within the next couple of weeks so the race won't be my first time on the trail. I'll just have to see what I can talk Bettijo into.

FINS: The Photoshoot

Distance: 5
Average Speed: 7.9
Fellow Riders: Mike
Notes: My first ride after the century and the flu. I didn't want to push it too hard, so Mike and I went out for a ride at FINS with Bettijo's camera with the purpose of taking some good photos.

Wickenburg 100

Distance: 106
Ride Time: 6+ hours
Average Speed: 15 mph
Fellow Riders: Dad B., David Wiley & Ryan Broderick (for 1/2)
Notes: So this was it, my first century ride. We started shortly after 5 am along the 60 in Surprise. The morning was beautiful and a comfortable cool temperature. I was wishing that could be our riding condition all day. The first 50 was quite easy. It was kind of hard for me to ride at the pace everyone else was going. I broke out a couple of times and then found a shady spot to wait.
The second half of the second 50 was where it started to get a little rough. I never got really physically tired, but the heat was starting to get to me (we finished at a temperature of about 104 degrees). Also, I was feeling tingly in my taint, legs and feet. I've got to figure out what about my bike seat is pinching nerves.
My total mileage was a little over 106 miles. I had double-backed at one point to check on the other riders and at another point I took a wrong turn, so between those I pushed my overall mileage a little higher.
I'm glad to say that I have accomplished a century. I definitely want to do it again, but next time it will during a cooler time of year.
Start:

Lunch:

Finish:

Welcoming Committee:

TOTAL MILEAGE THIS WEEK: 130.5

Road Ride

Distance: 19.5
Ride Time: 1:06
Average Speed: 17.5
Notes: After spending the day cleaning up the office and organizing Bath by Bettijo stuff I really needed to get out. Bettijo had a friend come over to tie-dye so I sneaked out for a evening ride on the road bike. I put my headlight (which is total junk and will be returned to Target shortly) on the aerobar and put my flashing taillight (from the mission) in the netting of my backpack. I road out to Indian Wells Road and back. I got a little extra mileage because I missed a turn in the dark and had to do a u-turn. I felt pretty safe the entire ride except on the way back I got buzzed pretty closely by a pickup pulling a horse trailer.

Easy Riding

Distance: 4.8 miles
Notes: I just got my road bike back today from Estrella Mountain Cyclery. I have to note here that Estrella Cyclery is my favorite bike shop in the entire Valley. Granted, I have not visited every bike shop, but I have visited four others just within the last week. Estrella Cyclery is the most unpretentious bike shop around. The owners and employees are down to earth, polite and completely unstuffy. It doesn't matter if you're a pro or a complete rookie, they talk to you with respect and without passing judgment. They don't look down their nose at you for not riding the lines they carry. They don't imply you should be riding on beginner trails when they find out you are not riding a top-of-the-line bike. They don't subtly ridicule you for not being an expert at bike maintenance or for not knowing every stinking detail about the sport or the equipment. And they are real from the very beginning, not just to their friends. I liked Estrella Cyclery the first time I visited there. But after this last visit I have become a life-long customer. Even when we move to north Glendale, I will continue to drive down here to have my bikes serviced. I'll probably even buy a Giant from them for my next bike. Of course, it won't be hard to get me to make the drive since I'll still be coming to ride FINS.
After picking up my bike I did some long awaited projects on it. I swapped out the pedals and finally reinstalled my bike computer. Once I was done with that I took it out for a spin around the neighborhood. Piper came out so I threw her up on the aerobars and she had a heyday riding around with me. When we got back to the house Attalie came out and asked for a ride. So I took a loop with her (while Piper was throwing a fit), then came back and did it with Piper again, then Attalie again.
My last project of the night was to figure out how to attach my iPod to the aerobar so that I can change songs, volume, etc. without having to get into my pack. I created a rather ghetto contraption made from a light switch plate and duct tape. That's right, a light switch plate and duct tape. I connected it to my aerobar with zip ties. It ain't pretty but it does the job. I even put a flap on it so that my iPod won't be exposed to the hot Arizona sun for 8 hours this Saturday as I do my first century ride.

FINS

Distance: 7.44
Fellow Riders: Spencer
Notes: After doing a garage sale all morning, Spencer and I sneaked out for an afternoon ride at FINS. I was reminded of why we normally do morning rides in Arizona. It's not summer yet and still it was about 93 degrees out there. Spencer was struggling a bit because he hasn't ridden in 2 weeks. He also is nursing an injured ankle that throbbed every time he bumped it. We kept it short at just under seven and a half. I nearly lost it bombing down Northstar. On the last jump at the bottom of the hill my landing went off the trail and into the rocks and cactus. I was having visions of stitches flash through my mind, but I was able to guide my bike between two rather large rocks and ride it out safely. My only injury: a one inch thorn through the front tire, which fortunately the slime sealed up.

TOTAL MILEAGE THIS WEEK: 27 (All Mountain)

Estrella Race Loops/PIR

Distance: 10.6
Time: 1:02
Average Speed: 10.3
Maximum Speed: 23
Notes: After a six month hiatus I got back to the Estrella Race Loops, or what we simply call PIR. I forgot what a rough, crappy trail that is. I mean, I don't mind some technical rocks and such to go over. But there is a lot of loose stuff scattered all of the trail that I think is just unnecessary. Anyway, it's not a favorite by any means, but it is the closest and I wanted to stay close this morning.
I got up at 5:30 and on the trail by 6:00. The main reason I wanted to go for a mountain ride today as opposed to a road ride, was to test out my new body armor that I just ordered from PricePoint.com. I'm sick of getting banged up on the trail, so I invested the $75 to get some knee/shin pads and elbow pads. What is funny is that I questioned whether I would like/need the elbow pads. But today it was the knee/shin pads that were bugging me. First off, they are huge, going from the top of my knee to the top of my ankle. And they wrap clear around my leg, so they get a little hot. But the worst part is, due to the weight of the pads, they tend to slid down and I wore blisters on both knee caps. I'm thinking I should have just went with knee pads. I'm sure the shin pads will come in handy on trails like National and Geronimo, but for stuff like FINS and Hawes, I think they may be too much. I'll have to see if I can find a way to keep them from sliding. Or perhaps I need to wrap my knee with something to protect against the rubbing. But, of course, that would only make the pads hotter.

Secret Trail

Distance: 8.9
Average Speed: 9.1 mph
Fellow Riders: Mike & Todd
Notes: Mike's brother-in-law is in town this week for work and, as usual, brought his bike. This was the first time I actually met Todd and was able to ride with him. We went up to EMR and took up on Secret. We rode the trail the same way we did last time - up Secret, down Graskey then up Graskey and down Secret. All went well except Mike blew a tire on the way up, which delayed us a good 30 minutes. I made it all the way up Secret without stopping or spinning out, which is better than last time.

FINS

Distance: 13 miles
Start Time: 7:55 am
Ride Time: 1:24
Average Speed: 9.4 mph
Top Speed: 25.1
Notes: Back to FINS for the first time in a long time. I rode almost every trail in the system. It felt good and I was really in tune with the trail. Unfortunately I washed out on a corner on my way out the exit trail and managed to get some road rash (or trail rash rather) on my left arm. It's funny because just a couple of days ago I finally order Knee/Shin and Elbow guards. I was debating whether I really needed elbow guards or if I would just look like a dufuss on the trail. I sure could have used them today.

TOTAL MILEAGE THIS WEEK: 112.5

Longest Road Ride Yet

Distance: 38 miles
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2759456
Notes: Today I cranked out my longest ride yet. I rode as far South as I could on Estrella Mountain Parkway until it dead ended into the desert. I felt pretty good, though I am still getting some numbness. I need to find a cure for that before the century in 2 weeks. I did have an embarrassing spill at the intersection EMP and Westar. I stopped at the red light and was going to put my right foot on the curb so I could dig a power bar out of my pocket, but I could not get my foot unclipped. By the time I decided to unclip my left foot it was too late and I tipped over in the middle of the street in front of about 10 cars. It was nice and embarrassing.
On another note, you'll notice the map does not follow the street, that's because that is not how the street goes. If you select the satellite view you'll see where the road was actually cut. You'll also notice it's dirt, but it has since been paved.

Road Ride

Distance: 28.2
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2754974
Notes: Felt pretty good today.

Road Ride

Distance: 14.94
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2751469
Notes: Shorter ride this morning because I was short on time. The century is getting closer so I need to do some longer rides in prep. I think tomorrow I'll do a 35. I did do a little sprinting today.

Road Ride

Distance: 17.46
Start Time: 6:55 am
Notes: Nothing significant to report today. Just that my bike really needs a tune-up.

Trail 100

Distance: 9.37
Ride Time: 1:37:36
Average Speed: 5.8 mph
Fellow Riders: Spencer
Notes: So it's been over a year since I last rode Trail 100. In fact I can't even remember the last time I rode it. Spencer has only been on it twice (Mike has decided he doesn't like the trail and so he never wants to ride it). We headed East out of the Dreamy Draw parking lot and rode 100 to where it hooks up with Trail 8. Then we went South on 8 up and over the mountain. I had forgot how rough a climb that was. But I did a lot better than when Mike and I rode it. After descending down the backside we took a shortcut back over to 100, headed back to Dreamy Draw and then went on the West side for a couple of miles and then back. It was a good ride with lots of climbing. Fortunately, even though my bike computer wasn't working the entire time, Spencer's iPhone picked up the trail. Here are the stats he sent over.
Start Location: 33.566344º N 112.029862º W
End Location: 33.564673º N 112.029039º W
Min Altitude: 558 ft
Max Altitude: 1,819 ft

Road Ride

Distance: 18.96
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2737666
Notes: I was just planning to head to the Indian Springs Road turn around and then back today, but when I got down by PIR I was really pinched by all the traffic. NASCAR is in town this weekend and the usually quiet road was busy with traffic, even at 7 in the morning. The police were forcing traffic to use the paved shoulder instead of the actual lanes. I'm not sure why they were doing that, but as a result I had to dodge traffic on a stretch of road that I normally feel completely safe on. I decided that I would not ride back down that road on my way home. Instead, I continued on to Bullard and made a loop out of my ride instead of a there and back. I also managed to extend the ride by a mile and a half in distance.

Thunderbird Park

Distance: 4.19
Start Time: 11:40
Ride Time: 31:50
Average Speed: 7.9
Notes: Back to Thunderbird Park, the first trail I wrote about on this blog when I started back in December. I didn't get up in time to do a road ride this morning so I threw the mountain bike on top of the Volvo and headed up to my 1:00 appointment a couple hours early. I had hoped to do two laps on the loop, but I got off late enough that I cut it at one. At 4 miles the trail makes for a quick half-hour lunchtime ride. I'll have to try it more often in the future. As before there were lots of hikers on the trail, but all were polite. I got no stink-eye today. I also felt phenomenally better today than last time I rode it. If you recall, I had a terrible chest cold that left me with what felt like 50% breathing capacity. I was out of shape from not riding in over a month, and I was freezing my butt off. Today, I was healthy, in shape and I could not have asked for better riding weather.
Again, my assessment is that it's not a great mountain biking trail. There is good climbing with lots of switchbacks but nothing too steep or loose to be unrideable. But the switchbacks are there on the downhill as well, so it's difficult to really open up. Plus, you are bound to pass a hiker ever 200 yards, so that also puts a crimp on the downhill bombs. But it's a decent ride for only being two miles from my office.

To Westar & Back

Distance: 31.6
Start Time: 6:50 am
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2631323
Notes: I've been slacking with my rides so I thought today I would push myself. I can tell that I haven't been riding much the last couple of weeks. At about mile 22 I ran out of gas and it was a struggle to make it the rest of the way home. The weather was perfect for a ride this morning, not too cool not too hot and just a gentle breeze to keep me cool but not create a headwind.

Road Ride

Distance: 27.1
Notes: So I've kind of taken a break from riding lately. Ever since returning from New Orleans I have had the hardest time motivating myself to get out and ride. Today I felt good, despite it being a week since I last rode anything. I rode up into Estrella Mountain Ranch as far as the Cotton Lane turn around. Here's my route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2718726

Secret Trail

Distance: 8.8 miles
Fellow Riders: Mike & Spencer
Notes: At 1:30 today I got a message from Spencer asking if I wanted to ride this afternoon. I was excited because I haven't been out for awhile. After my last appointment ran over I hurried home changed and was on the road with Spencer by 4:15. We met Mike at Harv's house and headed for Secret Trail. We decided to go up Secret rather than Graskey. It was a good challenge. There are some steep climbs on that side of the hill. Once at the top we rode a little more than halfway down Graskey, to where the trail goes through the wash, then turned around and went back. It was a fun way to do the trail and I think will probably be how we do the trail from here out. Spencer wants to do Pass Trail tomorrow morning. We'll see what the Mrs. says.

Quick Morning Run

Distance: 2.9 miles
Start time: 7:10 am
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2685330
Notes: I didn't have much time for a work-out this morning. A nurse for State Farm Insurance was coming by the house at 8 am to take my vitals and a blood and urine sample for my new life insurance contract. I knew I wouldn't have time for a ride so I just went out for a run. Even that I only had time for an almost-3-miler. I can feel my running muscles that haven't been used in awhile. I really should incorporate some more cross-training in my work-outs, just to be more well-rounded.

Road Ride

Distance: 17.46
Start Time: 7:02 am
Notes: It was really hard to get out of bed this morning. The trip to New Orleans did take a toll on me by throwing me off my schedule. I've got to find the motivation to get out there and ride every day this week or it could be really easy for me to drop off my work out plan like I so often do. It was kind of windy today. It seems like it has been windy every day for over a week now.

Indoor Ride New Orleans

Distance: 10 miles
Ride Time: 34 minutes
Notes: We are in New Orleans for a few days for Bath by Bettijo and I am afraid that if I don't work out at least once it will be even harder to have the desire to start riding again next week. So I spent a half hour on the stationary bike in the hotel's exercise room. Even with reading a book it was torture sitting on that bike for 34 minutes. If I am to ever get a stationary bike to ride on I will need to have a movie or television show or something of the like to keep my mind occupied while I ride.

TOTAL MILEAGE THIS WEEK: 49.2

Road Ride

Distance: 21.7
Start Time: 9:00 am
Notes: Nice weather. Felt strong, but realize I need to be pushing myself a little harder. Tomorrow I'm going to do some sprint sections.

Road Ride

Distance: 17.46
Start Time: 8:05
Notes: Nothing significant to report today.

Road Ride To FINS & Back

Distance: 34.3
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2655688
Notes: Listened to Extreme Measures audiobook on a beautiful Saturday morning ride.

TOTAL MILEAGE THIS WEEK: 101.6

Road Ride

Distance: 17.46 miles
Start Time: 7:50 am
Ride Time: 0:57
Rate: 18.37 mph
Notes: This morning it was a struggle to get out of bed. I slept in a full 50 minutes after my alarm first went off. Due to the late start I decided to only do the 17 1/2 Loop. The first half felt really good (I had a nice tailwind). The second half I had to work for. On the way back I sprinted the last mile after turning onto Riverwood. It really hurt but I think I want to incorporate a few sprints into my rides just to build some strength.

Secret Trail

Distance: 6.4
Start Time: 4:40 pm
Fellow Riders: Dennis Cooley
Notes: I talked to Cooley this week on FB and he was wanting to go for a ride. So I suggested we go do Secret Trail. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that he had moved and lived further away. We didn't get to the trail until almost 40 minutes after I had hoped. Then Cooley was kind of slow on the climb (he hasn't been riding in awhile). I had hoped to do 2 laps but only managed to get one in. Still it was fun.

Tired Road Ride

Distance: 21.7 miles
Start Time: 7:06 am
Weather: Chilly
Notes: Out to Estrella Parkway. I had a hard time today; I was tired the entire ride. But I enjoyed listening to Prager as I rode.

Road Ride

Distance: 21.7 miles
Start Time: 7:11 am
Weather: Chilly
Notes: Back out to Estrella Parkway. Nothing else to report.

Long Road Ride

Distance: 31.59
Start Time: 7:30
Ride Time: 1:43
Rate: 18.4 mph
Notes: This morning I wanted to push myself for a longer ride. The first 6 miles was a slow warm up and my legs felt kind of stiff. But then I started getting into the zone. After connecting with Estrella Parkway I made the climb up into Estrella Mountain Ranch, which was good to get some climbing in. I turned around at Westar and then stopped at the entrance to Secret Trail to drink my Energize drink and eat some cashews. On the way back I felt strong the entire time. I really was in a good zone and probably could have done 50 pretty easily. For listening enjoyment I had some episodes of Dennis Prager over the last week. I do enjoy engaging the mind more while I ride. Here's today's route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2631323.

TOTAL MILAGE THIS WEEK: 82.8

Road Ride

Distance: 17.46 miles
Ride Time: 0:55
Rate: 18.37 mph
Notes: Got out a little later than I wanted this morning so I held the ride at the 143rd Avenue turn around.

Secret Trail double

Distance: 11.98
Start Time: 7:40 am
Average Speed: 9.1 mph
Ride Time: 1:14
Notes: Yesterday I didn't get out to ride at all. I had slept in because we stayed up too late the night before, so I didn't get a road ride in. But then, I figured I would take my mountain bike with me to the office and do some riding up at Thunderbird Park. That didn't work out and I found myself feeling very grumpy at the end of the day. Anyway, I wanted to reward myself with a mountain ride today as opposed to a road ride. So I went up to Estrella Mountain Ranch and did a couple laps on Secret Trail. It was a good workout and great fun. I'm getting better at the jumps. I crossed paths with Tony from Estrella Cyclery.

Road Ride

Distance: 21.7 miles
Start Time: 7:57 am
Ride Time: 1:12
Rate: 18.1 mph
Weather: 57 degrees
Notes: Back out to Estrella Parkway. That needs to be the minimum ride from now on. Battled a headwind for a lot of the ride. You would think I would only have a headwind half the time when I'm doing a there-and-back ride, but it seemed like a lot more than half the time. (I sound like I'm whining.) Here's my map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2587694.

Secret Trail

Distance: 6.74
Start Time: 3:50ish pm
Average Speed: 9.1 mph
Fellow Riders: Mike & Spencer
Notes: BONUS RIDE. I got a road ride and a mountain ride in today. Once Mike & Spencer knew that I knew where Secret Trail was they were anxious to get out and ride it. I had just enough time when I got home from my road ride to change my shirt, drink some Energize and eat a little food before they showed up. We parked at Harvey's and hit the trail. Mike was riding his new single speed. The trail looked different in the daylight (obviously) and I was able to hit it a lot harder than Thursday night. Mike and Spencer were giddy with the long grind on Graskey and then the sweet, puckering downhill on Secret. At the bottom we all wanted to do another lap, but Mike had to get home to do more unpacking (he just moved) and I knew Bettijo didn't want me out too long. We're excited to have something new and different close to home. Now we have to find the new Trail 18 that Harvey's been talking about.

TOTAL MILEAGE THIS WEEK: 113

Boushley House to Our House

Distance: 23.75
Start Time: 1:45 pm
Ride Time: 1:20
Rate:17.8 mph
Notes: Today Bettijo wanted to go to "Confessions of a Shopaholic" with her mom and the twins, so I needed to watch our girls. But I had also planned an afternoon ride with Spencer and Mike and Bettijo didn't want to come home right after their movie. So I decided to take my road bike up to her parent's house, watch the girls there and then ride home. I had planned on exploring some of the bike trails that have been built up there, but when the girls didn't get home until 1:30, and our ride was at 3:00, I decided to just book it home on the roads. It's always a little scary out there with traffic. I did get buzzed a couple of times, but no one hit me and I'm alive. I had a headwind almost the entire time, which made for extra work. But it turned out to be my longest road ride yet. At only 23.75 miles I know that's not saying much, but I'm just getting into this aspect of cycling, so I'll give myself credit. Here's today's route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2616134.

Road Ride

Distance: 17.46
Start Time: 7:53 am
Ride Time: 1:00
Rate: 17.46 mph
Notes: I was a little cramped and tired at the beginning of the ride, probably because I just rode Secret Trail and FINS last night. But on the way back I loosened up and was feeling pretty good. Here's the route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2602273.

Secret Trail/FINS

Distance: Approx. 15
Start Time: 6:50 pm
Fellow Riders: Harvey, Tony, Julius, Ben, Mike, Patrick
Notes: Tonight was a night of firsts. I finally made it out on my first Thursday Night Ride hosted by Harvey. It was my first ride on Graskey & Secret Trail. It was my first ride on my new Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires. I had a great time. Graskey and Secret Trail are pretty awesome. I'm anxious to go back and ride them in the daylight. It's a little intimidating to ride a new trail for the first time in the dark, especially since my lights are not that powerful. I also had a good time riding with a new crew. I would like to get out and do some more ThNRs. Finally, the new Panaracers tore it up. I was amazed on several spots that I expected to spin out my tires just gripped the trail and kept going. I realize now how long overdue I was for some new tires.
After Secret Trail we headed over and did a short loop of FINS and then back to Harv's for pizza, drinks and socialization.

Road Ride

Distance: 19.86
Start Time: 7:51 am
Ride Time: 1:05
Rate: 18.33 mph
Notes: I decided to tack on a couple more miles this morning, so I rode clear to Bullard Ave. I was just short of 20 miles. I forced myself to push it harder going up the hills today, rather than just downshift. Here's the route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2605172.

Road Ride

Distance: 17.46
Start Time: 8:15 am
Ride Time: 1:00
Rate: 17.46 mph
Weather: 66 degrees
Notes: I'm feeling really good after today's ride. Nothing particular to report. Here's the route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2602273.

Road Ride

Distance: 12.5
Start Time: 7:05 am
Ride Time: 0:43
Rate: 17.4 mph
Weather: 64 degrees
Notes: I didn't ride for three days and was feeling a little slower today. My rate was about the same though. I tried out the new aerobars today. I'll have to adjust them a little since I felt weird on them. I'm sure there will also just be an adjustment learning to ride on them. Here's today's ride: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2600286.

Tough Road Ride

Distance: 21.7 miles
Start Time: 10:35 am
Ride Time: 1:15
Rate: 17.4 mph
Weather: 73 degrees
Notes: I rode all the way out to Estrella Parkway today via PIR. It was kind of tough. I felt strong for the first half but the last 5 miles I was feeling pretty beat. I got to get in shape because I have to do what I did today 5 times when we do our 100 miler in May. It was also warm out there today, which is a good trial because it will definitely be warmer in May. On the bright side, I didn't have a whole lot of nutrition in me. I ate a couple of pancakes this morning about an hour before the ride. Other than that I was only fueled by a McDonald's double cheeseburger from yesterday at around 4 pm and water. On the long ride I will eat a good pasta dinner the night before and be sure to have Gatorade, snacks and Goo on the trail. According to the Gmaps Pedometer I burned around 2,621 calories on the ride. I'm not sure if that is accurate but it felt like it. Here's my map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2587694.

Texas Run 2

Distance: Approx 3.4 miles
Start Time: 7:45 am
Run Time: 0:32
Rate: 6.4 mph
Weather: 47 degrees with clear skies.
Notes: Today is our last day in Texas. This morning I just went for a run through the neighborhood near Cassie & JD's house. I have to be honest that I thought I ran further than I did, but I mapped it out and it says I only put in 3.4. So here is my run: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2584312.

O.P. Schnabel Park, San Antonio, Texas

Distance: Approx 8 miles
Notes: So I can now add Texas as a state where I have gone mountain biking in. I don't have stats on today's ride. I went out on the same trail that Max and I ran on yesterday, except I went further. I borrowed JD's bike and Cassie's helmet. The trail was not challenging. It was mostly level with some ups and downs in the wash. It would be a great beginner trail since it is not technical but still a lot of fun weaving in and out of trees. Here is my route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2584335.

Texas Run

Distance: Approx 5.5 miles
Start Time: 10:30 am
Run Time: 1:20
Fellow Runners: Max (Cassie & JD's dog)
Weather: 63 degrees and windy
Notes: We're in San Antonio for a few days and today I needed to go for a run. Cassie told me about a park that is about a mile and a half away. I took their chocolate lab, Max, for a run. We got out on the dirt trails that interlink throughout the park. I found a lot of spots that would be fun to mountain bike on (I think on Monday I'll steal JD's bike and take it out there). Max and I did a lot of exploring but got totally lost. I had a sense of direction as to how to get back but couldn't figure my way out of a neighborhood I found my way into. We finally found our way out but my feet are a little sore. The ground was pretty uneven and there were some rocks so I got some blisters.

Road Ride

Distance: 13.8 miles
Start Time: 7:15 am
Ride Time: 45 minutes
Rate: 18.4 mph
Weather: 46 degrees
Notes: Another road ride out to PIR and back. I did tack on a little more mileage today, but couldn't do the 20 I was hoping for since I have a 9 am meeting. Here's today's route.

Road Ride

Distance: 12.5 miles
Start Time: 8:30 am
Ride Time: 40 minutes
Rate: 18.7 mph
Weather: 53 degrees
Notes: First ride on the road bike in quite awhile. I finally got a new tube in there. I also had my new helmet for the first time. (I just picked up some gear at Performance last night.) Here is my route. I am joining Bettijo's dad on a century ride during the first week of May so I figured I'd better get out and start doing some distance riding on a road bike. I also ordered myself this aerobar:

FINS

Distance: 5
Start Time: 7:35
Ride Time: 1:30
Fellow Riders: Spencer & Jeff Bigham
Weather: A nippy 43 degrees
Notes: Spencer invited me to join him as he took Jeff on a rookie ride. It was a slow ride on which I barely broke a sweat. Still it was good to get out and spin the tires.

Javelina to Mormon Loop

Distance: 7
Start Time: 9:45 am
Fellow Riders: Spencer
Weather: 65 degrees and freakin' perfect
Notes: It's been a couple months since I last rode at South Mountain. We started at the Beverly Canyon parking lot and rode up Javelina then linked into Mormon Loop and rode that to where it hooks up to the Mormon Trail, then we turned around and came back down.
I love that route. Javelina provides a good challenge with a steady uphill grind and several technical sections to get through. And of course the downhill coming back is just awesome.
I really felt the effects of a bald back tire on this ride though. There were several sections that I spun out but would not have if I had some knobby tires.
The one downside to this ride was that there were a bazillion hikers out there today. It's understandable. It's a Saturday and the weather is absolutely perfect. Most were very polite but a few gave us the stink-eye. I'm not sure why they do that, we are always very polite to hikers, but I guess some just don't like bikers.
I was proud of myself for getting up over the rocky section on Mormon Loop in the picture below. (This picture is from about a year ago.) It took me two tries but I hit it. I think this is only the second time that I have made it up that section.

I really wish we would have gone further. I was feeling strong and wanted more climb and more downhill. But Spencer needed to get back for a family thing.

Run

Distance: 4 miles
Start Time: 10:15 pm
Run Time: 35 minutes
Notes: Miserable. I started hurting from the very beginning. I just couldn't get my legs to move. I realized that it must be cramping and that I had drank very little water all day. I've never really experienced that kind of cramping before. It was miserable and something I definitely want to avoid.

Run

Distance: 4 miles
Start Time: 9:00 pm
Run Time: 32 minutes
Rate: 8 mph
Notes: I went out and ran the power line road. Afterward Adam showed me a website that allows me to map my run. It's pretty cool. Here's a link to my route .

Run

Distance: 2.2
Start Time: 9:40 pm
Fellow Runners: Choxie
Weather: 60 degrees
Notes: On Saturday we went to cheer on Ryan and Dana as she ran the Surprise Marathon and he did the half. Afterward Dana was challenging me to do it next year. That got me thinking, maybe I should try it, just to say I've done one. Tonight I went out for a jog with Choxie to see if I could possibly enjoy running 26.2 miles. I did 2. Still have a ways to go before I hit 26. I came home and celebrated by drinking some orange soda. What the heck is wrong with me?

FINS

Distance: 8+
Start Time: 3:00 pm
Ride Time: 2:00
Fellow Riders: Spencer
Weather: 59 degrees with clear skies.
Notes: First ride with Spencer since early December. I was planning to go out this morning but it was only 42 degrees out so I figured I would wait till it warmed a bit. The ride kept getting pushed back until the afternoon when Spencer texted me and asked if I was still available to ride. I was glad I waited. We got split up and ended up riding different sections of the trail for part of the time. I wanted a picture for the blog, so Spencer did the sexy mountain biker pose seen above. I'm still feeling timid on the bike. Part of it is my bald tires, which give me very little traction and control. Part of it is just trying to find my groove again.

Training Ride

Distance: 10
Start Time: 8:04 am
Ride Time: 0:47
Fellow Riders: None
Weather: 51 degrees with clear skies.
Notes: Power line road. 99th to 107th to 75th to 99th then home. I managed to injury myself while practicing bunny hopping. I guess I'm just a retard, but now I have some nice trail rash on my left knee.

Training Ride

Distance: 10
Start Time: 8:43 am
Ride Time: 0:43
Average Speed: 14 mph
Fellow Riders: None
Weather: 63 degrees and overcast, light sprinkle.
Notes: Power line road. 99th to 107th to 79th to 103rd to 99th then home.

Training Ride

Distance: 10
Start Time: 8:00 am
Ride Time: 0:40
Average Speed: 15 mph
Fellow Riders: None
Weather: 60 degrees and overcast.
Notes: Riding along the power line road again. 99th to 107th back to 83rd back to 107th and back to 99th. The other 2 miles are getting to and from the house to the power line road.

Training Ride

Distance: 10
Start Time: 8:10 am
Ride Time: 0:40
Average Speed: 15 mph
Fellow Riders: None
Weather: 53 degrees with clear skies.
Notes: I haven't made time to get out riding very much lately. This morning I didn't have time to hit a trail so I just went out and rode the power line road south of our neighborhood.

FINS

Distance: 7.5
Start Time: 9:10 am
Ride Time: 1:05
Average Speed: ??
Maximum Speed: ??
Fellow Riders: None
Weather: 55 degrees with clear skies.
Notes: After just getting my stitches out on Thursday, I found myself feeling a little timid on the trail today. I seemed to notice every sharp rock, steep drop off and spiny cactus along the trail. Still I wanted to get back out on my bike and start to find my groove again. I don't mind that I was a little more cautious today. (Not that I am normally an unsafe rider, I was just being extra safe after the crash I had on the last ride.) I was early enough that I was the only rider on the trail until right near the end when I passed 4 bikers on Spent Spade. Still don't have all my stats. I broke the base that my cyclometer attaches to during last week's crash and I don't know where the heck my cyclometer even is. I remember Mike handing it to me but I'm not sure where it went.

Hawes Trail

Distance: 5.3
Start Time: 8:50 am
Ride Time: ??
Average Speed: ??
Maximum Speed: ??
Fellow Riders: Mike
Weather: 53 degrees in shade at start, but quickly warmed in sun.
Stitches: 9
Notes: First ride of 2009. No stats because a few miles in, while going through the rock garden section of the Saddle Trail, I went over the handlebars and broke my face.