Well I was going to do the 400K at Casa Grande, AZ this weekend. I was doing very good until I got to the hotel and discovered that I left my shoes and gloves at home. not good. Thankfully, I had spare pair of shoes in my car. You see, I had done the same thing a couple of years back at the Las Vegas century and went by the bike shop at the first rest stop. I figured I would try them and see how far I got. I went in to Casa Grande and found the bike stop.The only gloves they had were "Desined in the USA and made in Pakistan". Not very confidence inspiring. Maybe I should have bought some from Wal-mart. I stopped and had dinner at Golden Corral, which was also wrong. The food was very bad quality, Pl;us I lost my sunglasses. I stopped at Wal mart and got some stuff before heading back to the hotel.
I woke bright and early Saturday for the 5am start. I was tail end Charlene by the time I got to interstate 10. but found it was easier. I rode the town of Eloy. To get from my workplace to the train station , I take a shuttle bus. The driver in the afternoon is named Eloy. He always asks when I'm going to ride through his town". I go to the first rest stop at Pichaco peak, with over an hour to spare, and my feet and hands weren't doing too bad. I realized than I had left my camera in the car. The next 15 miles were riding on the service road of interstate 10. My feet started to hurt when I turned off the service road in Marana. I pressed on the the next Control near Old Tuscon Studios. I though I was going to get a blister and I was only a quarter of the way in to the ride. The Arizona RBA, Susan Plonsky, was staff the control, and after talked , we decided that I should turn around and head back. We talked for while. One thing about Tucson in the winter is that of cyclists plan vacation there. while we were talking , a gentleman pulled in wearing a
Paris-Brest-Paris jersey. he thought we were with The desert Camp . I put what I could from my drop bag in my jersey pockets, and headed for the car. I had to stop a couple of times to massage my feet, But I got back about 3:00P. I did get a blister , but it was on my thumb. Susan came by my hotel and gave me my drop bag about 10PM.
and I actually enjoyed it!. Susan and I were talking that there's no point in riding , if you're able to enjoy it and it leaves you debilitated the next day. Plus I actually got to see Eloy in the daylight(If I had stuck to my plan, I would gone back through eloy at about Midnight).
So took a disaster, had a pleasant day, and got in 135 miles to boot!
