You know that almost exhausting yet invigorating feeling of taking flight as you pack the car and get out of town?? The chill late winter air was full of it as Alister and I made preparations for our bicycle racing vacation to Tucson, AZ and Redlands, CA. That morning we made a quick stop at our favorite breakfast joint in Durango, CO called Doughworks to get some homemade breakfast burritos and bagels. The morning light was breaking over the beautiful Durango Mountains and the yellow lines on the highway danced behind us as we drove west out of the snow and towards the valley of the sun… Arizona.
Tucson, AZ was our first destination. There Alister would be racing the Tucson Bicycle Classic. Kind of a shit show of a bike race, but it was warm out there in the cacti filled national parks. And we were happy to get some warm weather riding over gates, up lemon and around the race courses. The sun and warmth were super gratifying. Alister had a decent race as well. The race was proof that he was on good form for the Redlands Bicycle Classic (an NRC race with the big boys. Redlands for him could possibly mean being signed on to a pro team).
In Tucson we stayed in a house full of cyclists and a tri-athlete. Jon Chodroff, Thom Coupe, Jon Craig, and Kelsey Kooreman.
Jon Craig was from Nashville. He lived in the shed and cleaned the others bikes as rent…. And he drank a lot of coffee. He would go for long rides and sit at his favorite coffee shop for hours. Solid kid.
Thom Coupe looked like a beach boy to me, dirty blond surfer boy swoopy hair, but in all reality he was from New England and is Alister’s loyal and really strong teammate. A funny guy.
There were others who lived there, but were out of town during our visit on cycling business of sorts. The house was near the Tucson campus and downtown Avenue. We often made the “6 mile” walk down to University Avenue where there are lots of sweet cafés and restaurants. (really not even a mile walk, but Alister doesn’t like walking much…) A couple of my found favorites were Lindy’s a sweet burger bar with an awesome eating challenge, and Times, a euro style café, pizza, sandwich, gift, and exotic food…. Market with an outside patio with little birds that pooped on my phone, but the place was so cool, I didn’t even mind much.
After the races we would stroll over to the coffee shop where we would meet with FLC teammates and good friends, Yorgos, Russ, and Dossin to result stalk and talk about the races while enjoying a cup of tea and each other’s humorous company. Once on our “stroll” back to our host house from down town I was so joyous about life I did a cart wheel… and ripped my pants. Go me. Good thing it was dark. And good thing Alister already likes me. Ha.
Although I was not racing I spent the warm days in Arizona running and polishing up my base with long hours on the bike. I rode up Mount Lemon, Gates Pass, Tucson’s national parks, and around the ginormous sprawl of a place that Tucson is. Say “goodbye,” to pasty white red headed Colorado girl and “hello!” to my returned oh so flattering cycling tan lines! (not to be confused with farmer tan lines).
The time came that it was no longer California dreaming, but California FOR REALS! We said “asta luega,” to Tucson and “Surfs up!” to Cal-A-forn-I-A. Redlands, California was so beautiful I get giddy thinking about it, not to mention my mouth starts watering in memory of eating oranges right off the trees, and sitting at the coffee bean drinking my favorite “shit in a cup” or better known as the original blended mocha. Mmmmmm.
The first few days in California we were set up in a sweet hotel at the Courtyard Marriot thanks to a good friend. It should have cost us around $130 every night, but was more like $25. Sweet eh? I spent my days riding around Redlands while Alister practiced the courses for the races, and sitting by the pool playing cards and getting my tan on true California style. One day we went to the beach. I had seen the ocean from a distance, but never actually gone to the beach. Alister was a sweet heart and took me. I braved the cold ocean while all of the other riding buddies we were with chilled on the beach looking silly with their cycling tan lines.
Once the race came closer we checked out of our luxury hotel and headed to meet our hostess in Redlands. Her name was Tammie, She was a really sweet red headed lady! She helped me in the feed zones and was a total trooper with all the boys. Alister and I were the first ones to get to her place and the other riders started trickling in...
Thom Coupe, his teammate that was in Tucson with us was the first to join us.
Next we got to meet Christian Deshaies. Christian showed up in true fashion on the door step. Since he’s Canadian and speaks little English, he accidently ended up getting picked up by a seigneur of another composite team that was looking to pick up a “Chris” from the airport. Eventually they figured out he was the wrong one and that’s how he showed up on the doorstep. Christian was one crrrazzzy guy and full of laughs. He reminded me a lot of… Eddy Merckx. ;)
(insert picture of Christian)
Nathan Willson, a skinnier and smarter … kinda’ version of Russel Brown.
William Goodfellow, French Canadian
Jerome Townsend, a suntanning Goddess, I mean, God. ;)
Josh Bartlett… Don’t know how to sum that kid up
Robert Coble, Insane bike mechanic and team getter-shitter-together-doner-er-er-er. Saved our hineys from being a total cluster fuck.
me at heber cross in utah. that was a rough day of racing after much driving the day before. It was a "training race" ;)