Carefree 200k Training Ride

Next week is the Arivaca 400k brevet so this week I figured I needed a 200k training ride. I haven't done this ride this year and with all the rain, I figured the desert would really be in bloom!

Mark and a bunch of his NROTC buddies were staying at the house last night and decided they would leave for Austin at 6 am this morning. Sounded like a good starting time for my ride, so we got up together. Five of them packed into a 4-door Yaris, I mounted my trusty 5500 and we were off. Me for 8 hours and 123 miles heading north to Carefree; they headed east to cover 950 miles in 17 hours. I am home writing about it, they are still on the road!

As I was packing up last night, I went to refill my Thermolyte container. D'oh! Only 8 tabs, only about half of what I need for a 200k ride. Luckily, Mike Rollinson, Hurt Locker Founder and personal trainer had a supply. I picked up some tabs at his house on my way out.

Very mild morning, 58 when I left the house, but as the sun came up so did the wind. Mostly north and north east, so big headwind to the half-way point. At least it was a cross-wind going up 9 mile hill. I topped off the bottles at the Shell Station at the top of the hill. After a short downhill, back up into the wind on Pima. I reached the Bartlett Lake turn off just after 10am. Apparently there is a mussel problem here in the desert!

Happily back on the road with a great tail-wind I was back to Dynamite road in no time. I still had one full bottle so I decided to skip the Shell station and top off at the Circle K in Fountain Hills. I stopped just outside Rio Verde to snap a photo of some neat blue wild flowers. They reminded me of the Blue Bells back in Texas!

Reaching the Circle K in Fountain Hills, I reloaded my bottles and grabbed a turkey sandwich. I took a little break and soon was flying down the Beeline with the wind at my back. When I crossed the mighty Salt River on Country Club road, and entered the swirling vortex known as Mesa AZ, the tailwind was no more. I think I hit every light on Extension, but made it home just before 2.

Felt like I had gas left in the tank. My calorie intake was 302 per hour, a little less than I was shooting for, but better than the last two sub-300 calories per hour rides. Will need to focus on eating a little more on the 400 next week!


Steve Atkins