Coming up short

The Arizona Trail Race starts this Friday, tax day, April 15th! As usual, we have live tracking on trackleaders.com:

http://trackleaders.com/aztr

And new this year, a phone app for iPhones, Droids, etc, courtesy of 2011 racer and bikepacking super hero Dave Harris. Go here for the skinny on his cool app.

Twenty some odd riders will be starting, with a few going the full distance (750 miles). I won’t be going any distance. I’ve started the last five AZT races from Parker Lake with bikepacking gear, so it is time for a year off. So far it has been really fun to be on the sidelines and not worrying about my kit, how I’m feeling, how much sleep I’m getting, et cetera. I do feel like I am missing out, especially with the changes to the route that are pretty exciting, but at least I get to follow along on trackleaders.

Instead, I’ll be racing up in Prescott. The Prescott Monstercross was the event that took me out of what was likely to be my fastest AZT300. I sprained my ankle so bad in Prescott last year that it still is not 100%. Racing the 300 on it was probably a bad idea, and I’m glad I dropped out, even though I was having a good race. The PMC is a killer loop. Perhaps the most wholly satisfying of all the AES events. I hope to finish injury free.

There’s more to this than just taking a year off from the AZT. The idea is to take a break from super long rides and races for ~all of 2011. So far my hands and feet are already thanking me, and it has been really fun to ride short, and of course, ride hard.

It has helped that I’ve had speedster Krista Park to ride with all winter.

She certainly knows how to ride fast. We had a couple of particularly speedy rides this past weekend, one in the 40’s with driving rain, and the other under clear skies and with dirt so tacky it wasn’t much of a challenge to meet and topple some of our fastest times. Both were fun in their own way. So far the novelty of riding fast, even in circles, has not worn off.

We rode by Robert’s restaurant, where the kitchen’s back door was open and wafting the sweet smells of the deep fryer into the neighborhood. Krista blurted out, “mmm… that grease smells so good!” (Krista is probably the healthiest eater I know!)

“Haha! I’m remembering that one.”

AZ training is done, now it’s on to racing all over the world for Krista. Good luck!

Yesterday Jonathan Buchanan got me out on a short but very techy ride in the Tucson Mountains.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been on this trail, and even if I have, it’s been years and it’s totally different.

Totally different and totally brilliant.

Pay a bit of hike-a-bike for some super narrow trail, full of rocks and clinging to the side of the mountain.

Then crest out on a high ridegline full of saguaros, as the evening light intensifies and, you hope, so do your skills.

We are so lucky to ride in places like this.

Back down to the main trails. (Benji in photo)

Otherwise, tis the season for easy sunset rides, and there have been some good ones.

We’ll see how long I can stick to the ‘short’ ride plan. Already I am feeling to pull of certain loops and challenges, so my resolve will be tested. I am proud of myself for resisting the AZT, though. It’s my favorite, after all…

Good luck AZT’ers. We’ll be following along!