The day the wheels came off!

Continued from "Giving Thanks": This is the story of the 2nd incredible ride that will stick with me for a LONG time.

The day after the FOTP ride the family decided that we would walk to the bagel shop for breakfast - which we like to do occasionally on a weekend morning. On the way home we saw our neighbors outside and their 5-year old daughter Cati was riding her bike - without training wheels! She's been doing it for a while now but this time we got to witness it up close and personal. Aran & Cati are pretty competitive with each other and I could see the wheels turning....

He hadn't "tried" to ride w/o training wheels since the one failed attempt months ago. Since then he's been strictly riding the trail-a-bike. As a matter of fact I had pirated one of his bike's pedals to put on the trail-a-bike. I knew that over the course of the last few months he had "improved" immensely in terms of leaning and balance as a result of riding the trail-a-bike. I had a sneaky suspicion that he "might" be ready...at least to give it another try. AND Cati provided the inspiration.

I asked if he wanted to give it a try and he said YES!

He "helped" me remove the pedal from the trail-a-bike and install it on his bike. We re-inflated his 12-inch wheels, gave the bike the once over and off to the park we headed...

As we walked I gave him a few pointers and encouragement. Amy was supposed to head out for her 9-mile run but she delayed leaving so the whole family could witness the Wright Brother's Flyer lifting off! (hopefully)

We started on a small slope and I did the typical "holding the seat and running alongside" move that dads have perfected over the years...and then I let go...

He slowly coasted down the hill and as he came to a stop he put his foot down like he'd been doing it all his life. A few more similar attempts with some pedaling later and I asked if he would like to try the "BIG" hill and he said YES!

So over to the big hill we go. Amy nervously motioned to me that this was a BIG step up (and I wasn't sure what would happen or how much speed his now pedaling legs would give him) but the grass is soft, right? How bad could it hurt??

My better judgment convinced me to take him part of the way down the slope "just in case".

And then the moment every father anticipates from the moment he buys his child a bike happened...

Down the hill he went pedaling like a clown in the circus AND UPRIGHT! And then the momentum the hill provided ceased but he was still pedaling...and pedaling...and pedaling...

Across the soccer field he went! Wow.

Wow.

At that moment I wondered which was a more joyous moment: finishing a 70-mile ride the day before or THIS.

It wasn't even close...

Wow.

He spent an hour on Saturday riding - and watching his simultaneous joy and amazement with himself was priceless.

I was reminded of when I learned to ride a bike - at 5 also...and how the days between then and now have gone by SO fast. I was struck with a feeling of witnessing a milestone - like his 1st day of school or graduation or marriage...

Or the day he teaches his kid to ride....

I hope he remembers this day then.

Wow. What a ride!


The lightbulb went on:

On Sunday he rode his bike up and down the driveway, street, curb, speed humps....like he'd been doing it all his life. He added a few new skills to his repertoire and he smiled...

And so did his dad...

Wow.

Here's a sample:

Flight of the Pigs 2009

Here's a video of the Flight of the Pigs ride that does a great job of summing up what a 70-mile mountain bike ride in Phoenix is all about!

Giving Thanks

Well, it's that time of year again. There is SO much to be thankful for this year and always at the top of the list is - family. This weekend, as always, they provided everything I could want or need. They rescued me when I need it. They lifted me up when I needed it and they made me laugh. They continue to inspire me. What a ride!

And speaking of rides, this weekend was a tale of 2 incredible rides that will stick with me for a LONG time.

The first was my 2nd (and hopefully annual) Flight of the Pigs! Last year was all about NOT knowing what I was getting myself into. This year was about overcoming the challenges along the way and of being able to enjoy the ride more as it happened, instead of just the relief of having done it -and experiencing it with my "family".

I can't express how much easier it is mentally to do an event knowing that you've already done it before and knowing what lies ahead. Being able to recall the past and see the ride in it's entirety and knowing how much to exert or hold in reserve really makes the mental aspect of any endurance event easier. Experience really DOES matter.


As we "weighed in" at Jim's house (I weighed in at 231 down from 234 last year), I could physically feel the calmness that had replaced the complete nervousness from the previous year. My only worry was from my strained calf muscle that I injured 6 days earlier on a run and had been resting ever since. I wrapped it and hoped that it would hold up. My biggest concern was the hike-a-bike sections that were sure to tax my leg. A good group of friends were doing their 1st FOTP - some at my suggestion, so I felt that I should "help" them along and encourage them when needed.

The ride up to Buena Vista went without too much trouble. I did get stopped by a few bottlenecks of riders walking some technical bits but I was feeling good. I glanced at my GPS and realized I would be close to the cut-off time - even though the cutoff time is supposed to be from the parking lot and NOT Jim's house which is an extra 10 minutes! As I cleared the last saddle and saw a HUGE bottleneck right before BV, I knew I'd be over the 1 hour time. This is where experience helped me avoid unneccesary stress. I KNEW that Jim's cut-off time of 1 hour was "flexible". I also knew that all these people would NOT get cut. I also knew that Kathleen (who had been put in charge of sweeping since Jim was sick -and is a good friend) would NOT cut me. So I just chilled at the back of the pack and waited for those that were walking to clear. As I rode up to BV, I glanced at my GPS again and the time said 1:01. James, a friend who was doing the ride for the first time came up to me and told me my time, "1 hour 10 minutes". I knew that MY time was "moving time" and the waiting made up the difference. I told him it was OK. There were still plenty of people arriving. Kathleen didn't cut anyone.

James was a bit anxious about the next section (and I was a bit anxious about the hike-a-bike to come) so he suggested we keep rolling and I agreed. James is a super strong, all-around rider but I'm slightly better at the technical stuff so I flew down to Telegraph Pass and as I had predicted, by the time I made it to the top of the hike-a-bike James had caught up to me. We took a moment to enjoy the view from the ridgeline, knowing we had just finished the most challenging section of National Trail.


The west end of National has what I like to call The Dropoff. The trail turns into a steep, loose, chunky set of challenging switchbacks that you just have to surf your way through. It's a challenging skill to master - controlling your bike through uncontrollable sections. It's bike surfing at it's best! I blazed through this section (not as fast as during the Squealer but at a pretty good clip) and was all smiles when I started hearing a funny noise. What the? I stopped and looked the bike over and discovered that I had driven my bike a little past the breaking point. I had broken the frame!


As I sat there staring at the damage the smile left my face. I knew the break was catastrophic. My bike was finished. James and a few others rolled up to me and we strapped it up enough for me to ride it out to the road. When I made it to the road I told James I was calling my wife and to go ahead. I told him that my day was done. I really still planned to ride at least to the finish of National (and probably out to the nearest road) but I didn't want him to have the added stress of baby-sitting me on what was going to be a big enough day for him. I also wasn't sure how far my bike would make it and if it gave up the ghost, I wanted to be the only responsible party for that decision.

I called Amy and as we talked about the situation, we formulated a plan. She would load up the kids and her bike and drive out to meet me and if I felt like it when she arrived (and thought I could ride her bike) I would continue on after a bike swap - assuming I wasn't in a heap somewhere with a completely broken bike by then.

I nervously rode the last 2 miles of National, walking out of the rockiest washes hoping the bike would hold. I made it to the end - San Juan Trailhead - and spent a few minutes in disbelief at my luck before heading out again on my own in an attempt to reach the rendezvous point. From the San Juan Trailhead it was another 5 miles of roads and canals and noises coming from my bike. I knew that with every pedal stroke my bike was that much closer to collapsing underneath me. I gingerly made my way, trading phone calls with Amy as to my whereabouts and how to get to me. Finally I spotted her and the kids at the 7th Avenue turnoff. I quickly decided to continue and as I was swapping seats, I saw the herd of bikes coming towards me. I knew it would be a LONG ride by myself up 7th Ave if I didn't hurry so I hustled to finish and a quick thank you to my family later I was off and riding with the pack again. I really didn't even get a chance to assess the situation and come to a well thought out decision about continuing. I just went with my gut.

James happened to snap a picture of "Team Garza" and the bike swap and I've lifted it from his blog:

A few miles later we arrived at Zoe's for our lunch stop. Those miles gave me an opportunity to get a feel for Amy's bike (Buttercup) and evaluate whether I thought I could finish the ride on it. Even though her seatpost is slightly too long for me (with no way of dropping it) and the top tube is WAY too short, it was going to work. It was a GO!


After lunch, we got rolling again. I felt better than I did last year but I knew Trail 100 would be a test. Once again like last year, I fell towards the back of the back when we hit the dirt but I was IN the pack this year. The hike-a-bike sections were starting to wear on my calf but at least I wasn't getting lost this year.


Trail 100 was a challenge again this year but just like last year, when I started the descent down to Tatum I got my 2nd wind again. I love zipping down that last stretch to the parking lot, knowing that this marks the place where I KNOW I'm going to finish this thing.

I rode strong from there to Papago Park, staying near the front. It was great to see Mike R. show up there with bacon, Tecate & Cokes for the Piggies! That was priceless! I gobbled down a few strips of bacon and a Tecate (but I should've eaten something more substantial).


Soon enough we left Hunt's Tomb and were on the home stretch. This year's vibe was so much better than last year. The riders stayed together as a group and even when some of the riders at the back failed to make a light, those of us at the front stopped and waited to keep the group together.


When we reached Hardy Drive & Southern, in a flash my wheels came off - as in I hit the Wall. I went from being in the front of the pack to falling off the back. I was just a few miles from the finish but I was fading fast. The energy boost from the Tecate & bacon was gone and I was now watching the pack ride away from me.

I was limping through Guadalupe (alone again like last year) when some of my Ride AZ buddies who had gone off the back earlier caught up to me - and proceeded to pass me. Seeing them definitely lifted my spirits and helped me get over the I-10 bridge and into Ahwatukee. The end was near.

I rolled into the finish line at Jim's and straight into the buffet line. The family met me there and we all celebrated. I certainly could NOT have done it without them!



Last year I was as high as a kite at the finish with a sense of accomplishment. I remember Kathleen commenting on how happy I looked then. This year my happiness was less about the achievement and more about getting to experience it with my "family". From the beginning, having SO many of my Ride AZ family (and James) doing the ride with me, to having to call on my family to rescue me and my broken bike, to having the entire FOTP's family riding together as one - the entire day was about family.

Thank you family. Thank you friends and thank you Jim & Kim for putting on what is hands down one of THE best events of the year! Thank you also to Hoss Rogers for yet another awesome finisher's pin!


I hope to add more of them to my collection!

The final stats from the day according to my GPS are as follows:

Total Time: just under 11 hours
Moving Time: 07:33:09
Distance: 68.72 mi
Elevation Gain: 4,149 ft
Calories: 4,972 C


The "other" incredible ride from this weekend deserves a post of it's own so I'll save that for tomorrow.

PS: Yes, it's good to be back!

Birthday Challenge completed!

Wow! What a day! I knew it was going to be tough. As Amy said to one of our friends who questioned the mountain biking distance: "It's called a 'challenge' for a reason!" Truth be told, I had my doubts about being able to do the riding portion myself...along with everything else. As you can see there wasn't much that was flat...

The ride turned out to be roughly two laps of Desert Classic to Telegraph to National to Javelina... After the first lap, I joined the family for lunch at our favorite hole-in-the-wall burrito place...
The kids made sure I didn't tighten up...
All fueled up, I was ready for Lap 2.
I set out again with 2 thoughts on my mind. Since I had never ridden this far on dirt my 1st thought was if I would bonk and how I'd manage that. My second thought was that I needed to stay alert and avoid fatigue-induced crashes. Being tired has a way of making you make mistakes and National Trail is not one where you want that to happen...I started to feel pretty good as I finished the last big climb. I had a hard downhill to go but at least it was mostly down. After that downhill I was disappointed that I was still short a couple of miles so back out on Desert Classic I went to make up the difference. It was funny to see only my car left in the parking lot...I got home and started the next part of the challenge - the underwater swimming. When I decided to do the Challenge in July I forgot about the pool getting cold in October/November! The water was chilly but it felt good on my tired legs. I had a good coach/ lap counter that made sure I did all 42! Now it was time to shoot my free throws. We headed over to the park.As the sun was setting I got the free throws in.My helpers wanted in on the challenge by this time...so I helped Giana with her first regulation height dunk!My helpers were wonderful! But it was time for them to have dinner and go to bed. Nothing is better than being able to do the Challenge and also spend time with the family and read a book to the kids and tuck them in too!

Now it was time to go out and finish my final challenge - the 4.2 mile run. I originally wanted to do a trail run but the street would have to do. This is where I hit the wall - at the 2.5 mile mark. It was a good thing I was almost 2 miles from home :) I limped in at a snail's pace of 12:02 per mile but I finished!

So here are the final stats for my personal challenge of 2008!:

42.33 miles of mountain biking with 6,349 feet of climbing!
4.27 miles of running
42 free throws made
42 lengths of underwater swimming in our pool
42 kisses for EACH MEMBER of the family
42 songs on my iPod listened to at least (actually more like 120 songs total)
42 minutes of Texas Aggie football (Ags 24-Colorado 17! I listened to the web archive - Yeah I listened to it live too on Saturday. Whoop!)
42 ounces of Diet Dr. Pepper consumed- at least! (I'm sure it was WAY more)

Some "sort of" coincidental stats - that is stats that became stats as I realized they were close to "42" during the Challenge:

242 ounces of water consumed.
42 ounces of Gatorade consumed.

And finally a TOTAL coincidence that I only realized after uploading my run info. The Birthday Challenge was completed at 10:23:37PM. My ACTUAL birthday happens to be Oct 23rd - 10/23!

It was an amazing day! It's definitely a nice feeling to accomplish something that I really had doubts about being able to do - and finish it with a smile on my face. It's also a great feeling to have such a loving and supportive family there by my side too. Thanks guys. I love you!

1 Shiner was consumed also! After the run, the cold pool felt very, very good!

Now...what am I going to do NEXT year? Who knows... I'm still enjoying this victory lap!

PS: It was Amy's idea that I make it 42 kisses for EACH family member (so she wouldn't get gypped) BRILLIANT MOVE!!! :)

Tour de Tempe 2008

It's that time of year again! Aran & Giana were excited to ride and gave each other a big hug before the start. Aran would be riding in his 4th Tour de Tempe but it would be his first time actually pedaling. It sure was nice having him contribute to our movement.


Amy got to tow Giana in the trailer this year. Giana was pretty happy to have the trailer all to herself. We left our trailer at the cabin in Flagstaff and haven't had an opportunity to retrieve it so we borrowed one from a friend. Thanks Art!


Aran really liked the 2 bridge crossings - on College Avenue & Country Club Way.


It was a perfect day for a ride. The Tour was just a little over 10 miles. Giana says she wants to ride her bike next year!

Sedona camping trip

With a week before Aran started soccer we decided this was our last chance to get out of town for a while. Our local RideAZ mountain biking group had a camping trip planned to Sedona, AZ and we decided to go. We've been to Sedona many times but had never actually camped there. The Chavez Crossing Campground is right in the heart of Red Rock Country and easy riding distance to the trail system. We set up camp and Aran was ready to go for a ride! I hooked up the Trail-a-bike and we were off. The campground is right by Oak Creek and the road out is a steady climb. Aran wasn't much help pedaling up, but he sure kicked it in on the ride down! The boy likes to go fast.... I know he's out of focus in this picture but the look on his face says it all...



The kids had a blast camping and hanging out with their friend Robin - even if it was a bit cold.



Amy & I enjoyed a great group ride on Saturday too.



We rode the usual loop (about 20 miles) that included Submarine Rock!


The kids were having a great time and didn't want to leave but we had to pack up early Sunday morning so that I could get back and go watch my Dallas Cowboys get beat by the Arizona Cardinals in person! We should've stayed in Sedona....

Trail-a-bike meet trail!

Aran was excited to take his new ride out on the dirt. We decided to take a family spin in the woods behind the cabin. Aran & I made the maiden voyage and Amy pulled Giana in the bike trailer. We headed out not knowing what to expect. We packed a lunch "just in case". Well we managed to ride a good 6+miles and had a great time.

We did stop for lunch. Aran enjoyed his plain cheese sandwich...

...and Giana loved her PB&J...

Giana decided pants were not necessary in her trailer.

Maybe next time we'll ride down this hill...


Maybe...

1st ride back!

I was finally cleared by my doctor to ride on Wednesday! He said just no weight-lifting or boxing and I'm good. I thought about the amount of force exerted on my hands by the handlebars when I'm flying downhill on the bike and have to simultaneously brake hard and maneuver up/over/around an obstacle.... I said NOTHING but thank you Doc! :)

I had thought A LOT about where my 1st trail ride would be. South Mountain? Hawes? Phoenix has a lot of good options but most are fairly rocky and technical and I thought I should do something a little smoother that would have a lower probability of possible crashes. (haha)

Well Amy & I made a last minute decision to head to Flagstaff for the weekend and that made the decision easy. The 1st ride would be on my favorite Flagstaff trails - Mount Elden. Since it was just Amy, the kids & me, I'd have to go solo on the ride while she watched the kids. Rarely do I ride solo but this seemed appropriate since I really wanted to go at my own pace and reacquaint myself with the trails, the bike and gauge my bike "fitness".


The trails were in perfect shape, the weather was fantastic and the ride was incredible. It was nice to be back on the bike and even nicer to be riding in Flagstaff! I happily enjoyed the miles of suffering - climbing above 8,000 ft after the 3-month hiatus. I've got a long way to go to get ready for the Birthday Challenge, but this was a great start.

Aran's 4th Birthday!

Aran turned 4 on 08-31-08. I was lucky enough to score a slightly used Adams Trail-a-bike on Craig's List for his birthday. I was hoping he would a) be big enough to ride it and b) like it. We were having a big birthday party for him in the afternoon but I thought it would be a good idea to give him this present early so that he wouldn't have to try it out in front of everybody - just in case it didn't go well...

Well, it was a big hit with the boy.......and his dad too!

He can barely reach the pedals with the seat all the way down and I still need to adjust the handlebars a bit for him but it was a smashing success for a "first ride". This says it all...

He had a great day. He enjoyed his swim birthday party and is still trying to play with everything he received. Amy & I were pleased that we just pulled the whole thing off and are ready for some rest. It all just seemed like a big whirlwind. Amy knocked herself out on his birthday cake. Aran is all about Spiderman right now.

The things you do for your kids... It's all worth it to get smiles like these.

Back on the bike - in D.C.

Amy & I spent the week at my company's national convention in DC. Well, we were actually in Oxon Hill, Maryland but close enough... This was the 1st time either of us had been to our Nation's Capital. It was also the first time Amy had travelled with me to the convention. Since her birthday was Friday the 29th, I thought it would be a good idea to maybe do a "birthday ride" and see the sites if my schedule allowed. She also let me know that she'd be up for a ride on the trip by sending me emails with bike tours available...subtle I know...

I have followed my doctor's instructions to the letter but a chance to get a ride in and see the sites in DC with Amy so close to her birthday was just too hard to pass up.

Well as luck would have it, we had an afternoon free and I found a bike shop in Old Town Alexandria that rented bikes. We caught a water taxi and crossed the Potomac River (never got tired of doing that!) to get to the bike shop. After some minor problems with the bikes we rented, we were off! We followed the Mount Vernon Trail north along the Potomac River. We rode across the Potomac on the north side of the 14th Street Bridge and into Washington, DC and spent the next several hours at the area known as The National Mall.

SO much history to see, so little time... We visited the monuments, the memorials, the White House, The Capitol...and on and on... The World War II Memorial was special to me in particular since my father fought in that war but they were all moving to both of us.

I'm sure my doctor would understand why I had to defy his orders and take advantage of this opportunity. It's not everyday that we get to "ride into history". It was a good day to be on the bike...