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Ride to San Manuel and the Scorpion

4/6/2014

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Picture
The day got off to an interesting start.  As I walked toward my car in the morning, a woman with a frantic look on her face approached.  Would I kill a scorpion that she shook out of her shirt?  Hmmm, ok.  I had seen a scorpion scamper across a path a year ago but other than that and rumors they are everywhere, I had not seen one.  Sure enough, there at the base of the wall in her condo was a small scorpion.  It's the small ones that are respected the most because their poison is stronger than the large ones. My record for killing insects is spotty.  I hit as often as I miss.  Therefore, I cleared the area around the scorpion in the event I missed, raised my foot and splat, got it on the first try.  She asked if it was dead...ah yes.  Soon thereafter, I jumped on the bike and rode the 24 miles out of the valley through Catalina and Oracle, AZ, a ride I have done many times but this time, I reached the top of the climb, above, and plunged 9 miles into the valley to the very small town of San Manuel.
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Throughout the outbound ride, the wind had been strong behind me and appeared to exceed the forecast of 15mph (later I checked and it was 25mph).  After a break at a gas station, I headed back to Oro Valley into that wind, beginning with the 9 mile climb out of this valley and then on home, finishing with 74 miles and 3900' of climbing.  I am comforted by the fact that when I return to Ohio, I will be strong on our 5, 10 and 15 mile climbs.  Oh, wait..... Only now have I realized I've been training for a marathon when it is a sprint I will experience upon my return to Ohio.  The intensity of the New Albany Thursday rides ought to be quite the shock.
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    Mark is a long-time cyclist, hiker, golfer and plays some table tennis...ok, it's ping pong.

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