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You just never know.... El Tour de Tucson 2012
I thought of putting this under race results, but since I don't view El Tour de Tucson as a race but a challenge event, I'm just putting it in the general cycling category.
El Tour de Tucson has come and gone. I trained all fall and felt confident about improving my time in the 111 mile distance, compared to last year, until 2 weeks ago. I was really looking forward to it.
With just two weeks to go, the unpredictable leg/hip/IT band problems I've dealt with over the last 3 years suddenly recurred. I rested a week from the bike, did all my stretches and took a cautious 20 mile ride last Sunday. I didn't feel like it was worse until I got home. I was still cautiously hoping I might be recovered enough for a shorter distance than 111 miles but was still discouraged...
Everyone in the new women's cycling team I've joined was getting incredibly excited and making plans. We are called Team Soul, and sponsored by the Kia dealer here. I was feeling sorry for myself and worried I wouldn't be able to join them in the inaugural event ride for the team, with everyone decked out in the gorgeous kits we had gotten. Some of the gals are really fast (one took first place for women in the 92 mile Cochise Classic a month ago) and some are more in my category.
The IT band at the knee settled down, but I had a variety of really tight muscles and some odd burning pain in the upper IT near my hip. Things started feeling better, but I not really back to "normal" two days before El Tour, when I went to a massage appointment. My LMT is also a cyclist and has gone to a more gentle style of massage, not the sometimes painful deep tissue work. I don't know how she did it, but I felt the remaining tension in the leg and hip disappearing. We discussed my options and she reinforced my (reluctant) thought: Don't ride the 111. But she felt I would do fine on the shorter (60 mile) distance. I changed my distance registration at packet pick up Friday night, but felt a real let down that I was not going to be doing "the whole enchilada".
So with a little trepidation, I rode to the start of the 60 mile event. About 10 of my team mates were doing this distance and we did a lot of posing for pics in our new kits before the start. Other than my quads complaining a bit on the 2 mile uphill (!) start, I was feeling pretty good from then on. After 2 miles, we merged with the 111 and 85 mile riders. 3 other team members were right there with me and we stayed together for the first 30 miles to our team SAG stop. I felt great, and my disappointment had completely disappeared as I loved being part of a team. We worked together up the two big hills, passing people right and left (to my amazement) and our speed at the SAG was over 18 mph (helped by two great downhill sections). Another 5 or 6 gals, including one riding the 111, came along and after refueling and filling our bottles, we headed out. We were concerned by the news that one of our team had gotten into a crash and might have a concussion, but that was all the info we had.
I wasn't as strong on the 2nd half, and fell back, but the gal riding the 111 stayed with me most of the way. My average was still looking pretty good (for me) even though I slowed down over the last big hill and the bumpy stretch with little ups and downs.
The last 8-10 miles my legs started feeling a little odd. I normally alternate Shot Blocks (with electrolytes) and GU, supplementing with other kinds of food at stops. I had been relying on the GU all day, with just 3 shot blocks and a little bit of electrolyte drink. My suspicions were confirmed in the last 2 miles when instead of being able to pick up the pace and coAme home strong, I suddenly got a painful cramp in one of my legs. First time ever on the bike that has happened to me. I slowed down, worked it out and made it back. Lesson learned: I need the electrolytes!
Overall, I was pretty happy. My rolling average was 17, my chip time was 3:39 with an average of 16.4 mph and I had ridden an extra 6 miles to get to the start. I came in 513out of 1479 who rode the 60 mile distance- a pretty respectable place for a 56 year old who almost didn't even know if the ride was possible until 2 days before!
In the closer team pic I am on near the right side, with a mirror on my sunglasses.
