Coming to Arizona!

  You want to know where to stay....What happened to your tent?

I'll probably be at Soma too and will try to make the Tempe Meet and Greet. 

It looks like I will be in Tucson from 19-25 Oct and Tempe from 25 Oct - 2 Nov.  So...23rd isn't a good day for the IMAZ course.

I seriously considered the tent...except that I need to be able to cook healthy meals all week and that will be much harder in a tent.  And with all the workouts I'll be doing I REALLY need a comfy bed at night!

Hey Jen, there are lots of great places to ride in Tucson,

1.  Mt. Lemmon
2.  Old Spanish Trail to Vail/Colossal Cave
3.  I-10 Frontage Road to Picacho Peak

I also use this website when I can't think of any other routes:

http://psy1.psych.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/megahurtz

For a place to stay, have you considered Davis Monthan AFB.  I know they have some nice visitor housing there.  It is pretty central.

I just thought of something else:  The folks at Trisports.com store are very helpful and know of lots of resources, and riding groups around town that you could hook up with.  And they are located really close to the DM AFB.  The GABA cycling group also has El Tour de Tucson training rides going on every weekend.  Check them out at www.bikegaba.org

Oh....tri store. mmmmmmmm...definitely need to go THERE!  I need something to wear for IMAZ!

Okay, plans are falling into place.

I arrive in TUCSON on the 19th.  I leave Tucson on the 25th.

Right now, I have nowhere to sleep on the 25th, because my VRBO place in Tempe starts on the 26th (it was too good a deal to pass up over one day).

So, FIRST....before I book myself a tent place at the Koa for the night before SOMA...  Does anyone have crash space or a hotel room they are interested in splitting for the night before SOMA?  I swear I'm very normal.

Anywho...I'll be in Tempe from 25 Oct - 3 Nov.  I have NOT seen the schedule yet.  Coach puts that out a week in advance.  When I do see it I will let you guys know what days he has me riding the IMAZ course.

Is there a pre-SOMA BT dinner?

Dave from DCB Racing is trying to put together a POST Soma party at Monti's after the race where he and I will donate our months MGD 64 supply (4 cases) and Monti's can sell it with 100% of the proceeds going to Chances for Children.  He is working with the MGD 64 rep to work out the details, so stay tuned for info about that.

We SHOULD do a pre race get together!  Just haven't talked about it yet.  Packet pickup is from 10-5 on Saturday.  How about we try to meet for lunch? You can either get your packet before noon, or after the lunch.  We can just meet up at the TTL Archway on the SE corner of the park (Mill and Rio Salado) at Noon and walk down Mill Ave to eat somewhere.  Sound like a plan?  (I'll have to post this in another thread so people will see it).

Hey, Zilla was right...I was on the move but I'm in Vegas now and can you BELIEVE that they have INTERNET here?

Okay, I am supposed to ride LONG on Tuesday.  Like 7.5 hours long.  I was really hoping to hit Mt Lemmon on this day...I would think it would be best at the end of my long ride so I can get my good Z2 work in beforehand.  Got any suggestions for a route to do?  I am staying at Starr Pass...but I am also up for driving my bike somewhere to get started.

I am definitely hitting trisports...probably on Monday afternoon...I need new running shoes AND a new tri suit to run Soma and IMAZ in.....and I would LOVE to try out wetsuits!

What the hell?  Who needs a 7.5 hour ride?

Without the sarc font that looks awfully rude.

SOME of us are going to take 7 hours to do the IM ride....

Apologies Jen - - no rudeness intended - - I should have typed 'Who wants to do a 7.5hr ride?'   Why would anyone want to do that?  My a$$ hurts just thinking about it.  The 'what the hell?' portion was directed at you (or anyone) being crazy enough to attempt such a feat.  I'm in awe.

It's not so bad.  Here in the hills you really get used to it...with all that climbing if you want to do any distance whatsoever you'd better be ready to be out there for awhile....

Under 7 is my goal.  Right now I just don't have enough "flat riding time" to guage my speed on the course.  I'm renting race wheels too so I have no idea what kind of speed boost I will end up with from those...

BTW, I'm HERE!

In Tucson...yay!

Yes, why, yes I was.

And I rode today...max temp according to Mr. Ergomo was 113 degrees.

And I got two flats.  Seriously...does all of AZ think of the side of the road as the place they put their empty beer bottles?????