Resting up

First things, this Saturday (1/23) is the 3rd annual Antelope Peak Challenge. You should come out and ride!

It’s looking like a rainy week, but the course is relatively moisture proof. A lot of sections get better with rain. As long as it’s not raining the night before or morning of, I think it will be OK. I’m in for the 115 mile, though may revert to the 65 if it’s raining at 3am (the start time).

It’s the perfect way to lose yourself in the desert (even if you are carrying a GPS).

I finally found the discipline to rest up for the better part of a week. There were some moments of restlessness, but it’s paying off. The lack of soreness and ability to stay awake/focused all day are a welcome change.

SDMB adopted a mile of the river path, and it’s a mile I ride frequently (3 times during this rest week!). Saturday we spent combing the wash for junk and had some good finds — shopping cart, road barricade, pieces of cars, et cetera. It was fun.

Part of resting up is learning how to say ‘no’ to big rides at times. I have a hard time with that when someone is pushing for it and has dreamed up their own route. But Chad went solo on a ‘bikepack Tucson’ loop. I caught up to him on the backside of Starr Pass.

We rolled around to Robles, and it was pretty obvious Chad was tired. “Why are you so tired — why do you need to rest?” was the question he asked me repeatedly this week. Now the tables had turned!

I rode from over there?!

OK, he had good reason to be tired, having ridden Cherry Tank from the 50, broken through the Tortolitas and then the Tucson Mountains. He had about 90 miles by the time I joined him on day 2 of his ride.

Maybe parmesan and crackers will bring my energy back?

Cruising back through Starr Pass, I was feeling good. I love it out there. Chad peeled off at the Santa Cruz river path to go pedal home. I kicked it up a notch, just because it felt good, and was home before I wanted to be.