Lynn Smythe
Gone for a Couple of Days
November 15th 2007 00:25
Team in Training Logo
For the past 5 1/2 months my husband and I have been training for this ride. We are the mentors for our local Team in Training cycle team. Team in Training is the main fundraising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Each team member had to pledge to raise a minimum of $4,100 in addition to training for the ride. As mentors we helped our coach train members of the cycle team, many of whom had never been on a road bike before.
Our first training ride was 15 miles which was a MAJOR accomplishment for most people. Our last training ride was 85 miles - very long but still 24 miles shy of 109 miles. Training for a long distance bike ride is kind of like training for a marathon - you don't actually run marathon lengths during your training but slowly and steadily increase the duration of your training sessions.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the El Tour de Tucson. The ride organizers estimate that between 9,000 and 11,000 bikers will be in attendence!!!! This won't be the first century (100 mile) ride we've done but the largest ride we've ever participated in only had 1,000 bikers. So we are kind of freaking out trying to picture so many cyclists crammed together at the starting line.
The ride includes two dry river bed crossings where you must get off your bike and carry it across the sandy/gravel river bed to get back to the paved road. Unique to say the least.
We have a pasta party the night before the ride to carbo load - I'll burn between 6,000 and 7,000 calories during the ride. There will be rest stops set up along the ride route where we can fill up our water bottles and grab a banana or cookie for energy. Later in the night after the ride there is a celebration party - live music, dancing, and FOOD!!!!!
WISH US LUCK!!!
Here's the Team Training in Clermont, Florida
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