Sorry about not posting yesterday, but we’re a little off the grid.  Actually, I wasn’t yesterday, but I was having electronic issues.  I wasn’t near Wifi, so I did a post on my phone, but right when I was ready to post it, poof, it was gone and WordPress just quit.  Now I can’t access or post anything on my phone, which is a hassle.  Plus, I can’t even proofread a post, so there is almost a zero percent chance I’m going to rewrite what I already did.

I got to Phoenix okay on Tuesday, but Vincent, Trudi and Bromont didn’t get to the airport for a couple hours, so it was nearly 10 pm before I got picked up.  We stayed a night with one of Vincent’s team mates, Kim, who was renting a condo in Scottsdale for an Arabian horse show.  We had to sleep on the floor in the living room, so I was pretty underslept.  I don’t mind sleeping on the floor as long as I’m prepared.  We weren’t.

Yesterday morning we drove to Mesa and picked up a trailer that we’re going to use for the race.  Then we drove up to Fountain Hills and rode some at McDowell Mtn. Park.  I raced there right when they built the trails, back in the 90’s, but haven’t been there since.

It was alittle stressful getting used to trying to ride fast here.  The trails are hard packed with lots of small stones, so super slick in the corners.  I‘m was a little skittish initially.  Especially turning left.  I’m getting better, but for some reason, foreign to even me, I can’t just rail a corner turning left.  I guess it is a protection mechanism for the broken hip.  It has been 8 months now, I’d think I’d be done with that, but obviously, that isn’t the case.

We rode a couple hours then went to the bike shop, McDowell Mountain Cycles, where Harry, the owner and a friend of Bob, a rider on our team, graciously let us use  the shop.    It is a really great shop, with an espresso machine, so I was a little too jacked up after the ride.

I’m thinking about leaving a rigid fork on my bike.  There wasn’t any need for it riding yesterday at McDowell and I hear the course at the 24 Hours of Pueblo is easier.

We then drove down to Oro Valley and stayed out in the desert with another one of Bob’s friends.  It is in an exclusive gated community on a golf course, of course.   It is a super cool setting, but Bromont couldn’t go inside, so we are sleeping in the trailer with him.  It’s a good setup, but once we leave the trailer at the race site, I’m not sure what we’re going to do.

I’m anxious to get to the course and do a couple laps.  I know it isn’t going to be anything like the race, but it is always nice to know the course.  I guess it is pretty dusty and smoky during the event.

Okay, I need to get going to eat something a check out the course.  I forgot how much I like riding my mountain bike through the desert fast.  I’m going to be doing it a lot more often.

Picking up the trailer.

It was nice waking up to Palm trees and warmth yesterday.

Bromont was happy to see me, and I him.

Vincent taking a photo of me while I was taking a photo of him.

Vincent riding.

I fell once yesterday and got this guy stick in my tire. They were also stick in my legs. My front tire went flat and I washed out on a corner. I guess my latex was all dried up. I’m gonna fix that today.

My view this morning getting out of the trailer. Pretty nice.