Mark's Cycling & Hiking Blog
  • Home
  • Mark's Cycling Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Boulder Canyon Posts
  • Cycling Event Meet-Ups
  • Home
  • Mark's Cycling Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Boulder Canyon Posts
  • Cycling Event Meet-Ups

Cycling to Picacho Peak & the Tri Dude

4/7/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
Good ride today but the experience began the evening before when I was soaking my aching, weak muscles in the spa and sharing it with a guy who is in town for a "Personal Best" Tri training camp.  I thought the most excruciatingly boring experience was listening to a golfer describe every shot in the round of golf but nope, that has been surpassed by listening to a guy ramble on and on about every tri event, times, places, etc...  Louisville, Ironman, Lake Placid, crashing waves and my eyes glazed over and he finally asked what I did.  When I told him I worked in the golf industry he said, "Oh, I'm good at that too!"  Geesh.  Anyway, he described a training ride the camp took, which revealed a new route to me so for that, it was almost worth being brought to tears of boredom.  I headed north to Catalina, took #79 towards Phoenix but 10 miles in hung a left on a paved road called East Park Link. It was 18 miles of flat, which was a nice change of pace.  Above you can make out Picacho Peak. 
Picture
I was stopped by a train for quite awhile at a frontage road at I-10.  I rode 5 miles farther north to a market, at mile 45, where I saw a group of "Hells Angels Arizona" jacketed bikers.  These guys appeared to be the real deal and I confirmed it when I walked by one of them and said, "How's it going." and got only a grunt in reply.  There was another gang there too but smaller in number.  I sized up the situation and decided to get out before guns were drawn.
Picture
Rode toward the town of Marana on the west side of I-10, still very flat while passing a farm with neat views of distant mountains.  Then it was east on Tangerine which is an 8 mile climb but not steep and lots of false flats.  Finished with 84 miles and 2900' of climbing.  Rode the next day with a group and had a good time, finishing with 50 miles.  I have been asked how many miles I have ridden and only 765 for March.  With 30 out of 31 days sunny and all but two having temps in the 70's and 80's, some of you would have been over 1000 miles but the hiking, 64 miles, has been fantastic and do I have an adventure to describe next.  Note to self, buy the freakin GPS device for hikes.
2 Comments
Narcissist
4/7/2014 10:26:18 pm

A triathlete attending a triathlon training camp in AZ called Personal Best who happens to be a narcissist? Who would have thought? Wouldn't you love to be on one of their camp training rides, assuming they don't all crash each other out just mounting their bikes?

I was wondering, exactly what did you tell the guy you did for a living? Your readers would love to know where we should send our applications.

Reply
Mark
4/8/2014 01:26:24 pm

If I told everyone what I do and how I do it, the competent among you would jettison me out of my living. By the way, when he said, I'm good at that too." he later said he shot in the 90's, which is not, by anyone's definition, good at golf and later yet, he said he rode to Summerhaven in 2:40 which is also not very good but I give him credit for creative bragging.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Mark is a long-time cyclist, hiker, golfer and plays some table tennis...ok, it's ping pong.

    Categories

    All
    April
    California Riding
    Grand Canyon Backpacking
    March
    The Characters

    Archives

    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.