I finally did my long bike ride. I completed the 66 mile loop of the Tour de Tucson!. Saturday morning started early with the ride from the hotel to the start line where we cheered our team members off on their 108 mile loop. Because I am so slow Coach Russ then took me to the 66 mile start point where we started early (otherwise I would not have been able to finish in the time allowed). We arrived at the point where the 66 mile loop joined the main route before the professionals got to that point. We crossed the dry wash and then waited for the leaders to get past before continuing. The last thing I wanted was to get in the way of the front runners. After several of those groups had passed we continued up the hill. I had people cheering me on and saying how wonderful I was doing and I kept wanting to explain that I was not one of the front runners, don't cheer me. Russ said the riders would come up behind me and look at my bike and look at me and shake their heads wondering how I got where I was. Eventually enough riders passed me that I did not feel so conspicuous anymore.

The weather for the ride was beautiful and the temperature was moderate although I did get a little warm going up the hills. The countryside is very dry and there were lots of cacti. My favorite part of the ride was coming down Tangerine. This is a very long gradual downhill that went on and on. I didn't want it to ever stop. My least favorite part was a very bumpy road towards the end. I think it was worse than the hills and I hate hills! Eventually I made it to the finish line after about 6 1/2 hours. I don't know the exact time because of my irregular start.

The boys had sent Flat Stanley with me and he rode in my pack all the way. At one point one of the riders passing me spotted him and called out "Flat Stanley! How cool is that!"

After checking in and grabbing a bite to eat I rode back to the hotel for a shower and a nap before the Victory Party that night. My total mileage that day was about 69 miles. This is the furthest I have ever ridden.

Since my last post I still haven't done any long rides. The flu was still affecting my performance. Two weeks ago I managed to do 50 hilly miles but I was not feeling at all well on the hills. Last Saturday I finally was feeling back to normal but the weather was so foggy and icy that we got a late start and the coach only had me doing 40 miles. This week is the Tour de Tucson. The decision has been made that I will do the 66 mile loop rather than the 109 mile loop as the flu really set me back and I was borderline on being able to do the 109 miles in the time allowed. It will still be further than I have ever ridden before.

The boys gave me Flat Stanley to take on the ride with me. He is a paper doll that they and their classmates color and then send all over the world. The people who receive him then write about his "adventures" in their part of the world and send that back to the children. It is a way for them to learn geography. Debbie made a Team in Training jersey for him and the boys made a bike helmet. We are ready to go.