Todays Shootout started out a lot warmer than the other, meaning no need for polar suits. The group by the bridge was 30-40 guys and stayed that way till the "sprint hill". Either the pace was slower than normal or there was a lot more fitness present, I don´t know, it didn´t seem ridiculously fast. Skiles was third on the hill, I think, in his new "missing saddle" team kit, displaying an unmistakable zebra-look - a zebra is a fascinating animal... Curtis wore it as well and they kind of stood out, in a nice way. Have a look at todays picture to get an idea...
There was a guy escorting the group all the way up to Madera Canyon and it turned out to be Neil Stewart. Neil was the first guy Peter and me met here in Tucson, 10 years ago. He hooked us up with Jon Roberts/Aquila Manor, Gordon Fraser, Jimmi Riccitello, Cameron Willams and many others. Aquila Manor, on Dodge Blvd. had a lot of cyclists staying, among them, the Finnish road and TT Champion: Miika, The Peltonen Brothers, Victor, , Mr. McRub, Mr. Bunselmeier, Pauly Burky, Cannondales Curtis Davis and many more. So, after moving to Maryland for some time, Caroline, Neil and their two daughters are back in Tucson. Neil is apparently helping some guys out with training advice and so on. It was great to talk to him again and hopefully we´ll meet again.
I almost didn´t make till the end of Madera Canyon (actually I didn´t for sure, as there´s a little loop that finish it off) cause I only had one thing on my mind: making it to the restroom for an urgent #2. There was a line waiting for the mens restroom, but I didn´t have the privilege of choice, so I opted for the ladies restroom, as I was the first woman to reach the top...
At the shop at Sahurita we went over Helmet Peak Rd with a nice steady pace and then the speedy reverse Shootout on nasty bumpy asphalt back to town. I wanted 6.30 today so I had to go up to Oro Valley and turn around.
Todays total was 211 km/131 miles in 6.40 and 1910 meters of elevation. I had plenty of energy left at the end, with instant HR response and acceleration, but just killing time seemed futile at that moment. A perverse goal could be to outride the Polar HR monitors 5 sec. memory storage capacity of 8.55 hrs...
Tomorrows weather forecast says 80% chance/risk of rain and as they´re saying here in Tucson: "No training when it´s raining"!
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