I scream you scream we all scream for ass cream

I left Salida with a very comprehensive set of stuff. Bikes, tools, lights, warm weather clothing, cold weather clothing, food, etc. But I did not bring a single bike water bottle, nor did I bring a single gel flask. I needed to go to a bike shop, but I didn't want to do any more driving after running winter's gauntlet getting out of Colorado and through raw New Mexico.

So today I jumped on my Lenz and rode 22 miles to Oro Valley Cycles just south of Catalina, AZ. It took me about 90 minutes to get there, and I dropped about 1200 feet of elevation. Sure, most of it was highway shoulder riding, but that's really what I needed. A long-ish day of aerobic riding was just what I needed to loosen up and leave that drive behind me.



When I got back to Willow Springs I rode half the race course for good measure. So it wound up being a nearly 47-mile day, and nearly 4 hours of saddle time. Of course I forgot to bring food on my ride. I had one hammer bar and then just clear water. I bought two clif shots at the bike shop, but for the most part it was a classic long-steady day. No intensity, borderline starvation.

But more important, I forgot to lube up my chamois before I left. Just a little discomfort down there. Ouchies from not having spent much time on a bike for a while. But it's OK, I need to build up my ass callus anyway.

Tomorrow I'll have some fun!