At the end of January, our racing team traveled to sunny Tucson AZ for a week of training and spending time together as a team. Tucson is a new destination for our team, but renowned in the cycling world for smooth roads, good weather, and of undertow Mount Lemmon, a >7,000 foot climb only a couple of miles from downtown Tucson.
We were excited to have a number of new teammates join us for the week! Nick Arango tells us well-nigh his wits on Day 1:
“How many snacks can I stuff into a jersey? Nothing well-nigh the day one winter training zany route should have been daunting, but my newness to the team, the terrain, and the the large increase in total time on the velocipede of the week superiority inferential the first day’s modest mileage and elevation gain. Full jersey pockets, filled nervously not practically, prepared a little too early gave uneaten time for apprehension.
The request of cycling for me is unseat up in the gestalt wits of riding in a bunch; the melding of persons into a rolling mass. And so, with the conversational spin of many persons attempting to warm, riding through the municipality and the U of A campus to Gates Pass, it was easy to leave the individual winds overdue and ride as the group. Houses gave way hills, conversation thinned, and a snap tapped the joint as a nonflexible effort up the first short, ten minute climb of the trip stretched the tuft into nonflexible working individuals. Regrouping at the Gates Pass overlook gave us all a view of the week ahead: desert shrubs, cacti, and mountains all around. Feeling good both working as an individual and in giving myself over as a group, the morning uneasiness fell away.
A quick, steep descent lanugo the other side of the pass gave a portent of what the reverse of this section would finger like, but that very wits was reserved for a later day. The descent led us into the heart of Saguaro National Park. It was nonflexible to not imitate their poses, and so a stop at the park’s west visitors part-way without an hour and a half of riding gave good opportunity to stretch out the stovepipe like the cacti all virtually us.
One increasingly gradual rise proved to be a vehicle for working out the group’s first day energy as Berk and Dustin took the front and slowly lifted the pace. With eagerness tent my morning’s nerves, the slowly lifting pace slid by me unnoticed until it was over. The relaxed return gave good opportunity to consider what would be a sustainable effort for the week on the whole, but without the uneasiness of uncertainty. When at the house, without unpacking the uneaten uneaten snacks from still overfull jersey pockets, the new environment and upper volume of the upcoming week looked achievable.”
On Day 5, we “recovered” from the Mount Lemmon wits with some team time trial practice rolling withal the east portion of the trappy Saguaro National Park. Julie tells us increasingly well-nigh discovering the joys of the TTT:
“The morning without our Mt. Lemmon ride, I woke up sore and nervous for the 60 mile ride and team time trial practice that awaited me. I had very little wits doing a TTT, but the idea of going all out for 12 miles on stressed legs seemed grueling. Halfway through our ride we gathered in groups for the TTT practice. The 6 women at WTC decided to unravel the undertow into 3 segments of 4 miles. For the first segment, we would all ride together, and for the remaining sections we would split up into two groups. I expressed my concerns of stuff a weaker cyclist and how I did not want to hold when the team, but I was unpreventable that each person has an important role in getting the group to the finish line whether they spend most of the ride pulling or drafting. Joanna and Sarah described the TTT as a seamless, resulting effort and gave us helpful tips surpassing we started. Soon after, we clipped in and assembled into our pace line. As we accelerated, I well-matured on maintaining the recommended half wheel’s loftiness between me and the rider in front. A couple minutes into riding, our group got into a rhythm and we were all moving in-sync rotating in and out of the paceline. When I hit the front of the pack, I felt the wind resistance push versus me. I glanced at my Garmin and focused on maintaining my speed for thirty seconds surpassing I flicked my elbow, moved to the side, and merged when into the pace line. I could hear my zoetic ease as I received the typhoon from the wheel in front of me. Without a couple nonflexible efforts, Joanna told us that we were scrutinizingly washed-up and needed to do our last pull. Plane though I felt drained, I knew I could requite a final push. I was surprised by how much I learned from the 12 mile stretch and found the TTT practice enjoyable and helpful.
After the TTT practice, we unfurled up to Colossal Cave where we met up with the rest of the team who moreover seemed wiped out from the nonflexible effort. We got a endangerment to eat some snacks and enjoy the trappy dessert scenery surpassing standing on a nippy ride when home. For me, the TTT was one of the highlights of WTC considering I loved coming together with my teammates and putting together a joint effort. I am plane increasingly excited to translate this practice into race season.”
Finally, Berk regales us with some tales from the last day of training camp:
“Everyone knows that weightier things come in threes. The three undertow meal. The primary colors. Lord of the Rings. Harry, Ron and Hermione. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…
But most importantly, WTC Day 8. One ride to rule them all, to offer a trifecta of venture of the like few of us had experienced before. We would have a last hurrah in Arizona where we would rub elbows with fellow racers at the super fast Shootout Ride, then climb to the top of Madera Canyon, and then ride the mellow gravel path through Box Canyon.
The Shootout ride meets near University of Arizona campus, which was only a few miles from the house. Well-nigh half of us decided to participate in the group ride, and flipside half to follow soon after. The temperatures were low unbearable that most of us were bundled in every warm item of kit we had brought as we waited for a small group to form (many others had chosen a local race instead). We rolled out on time at 7:30AM, and started getting out of the city. Without a while, I got over my initial fear and started getting somewhat excited to be riding in a large pack again. So much so that once I got to the front, one of the locals had to tell me to tomfool my jets until the official start, at the intersection with Valencia Rd.
After that things got hot pretty quick. Literally. We had dressed for a unprepossessed winter morning cruise, whereas increasingly clever folks had put on lighter layers in vaticination of what was to come. A few minutes from the start it was well-spoken that people were eager to rip each others’ legs off. I suddenly found myself in the unpleasant situation of trying to pull my gloves and legwarmers off while riding in the red, cruising in glut of 24mph with a 1-2% grade.
After some savage attacks and chases, the front group came when together, and I was happy to see Jeremy, Guillaume and Dustin still in the group as we approached the final hill sprint. Frankly, I was pretty shot from my efforts in/near the front and pulled the plug when I realized I would not be contesting for the win, but I was proud of all of us for making it until the end. The Shootout definitely met expectations. It was nonflexible and fast, but moreover unscratched and friendly, a difficult combination to unzip during group rides. Also, a shout-out to Davis and Gerard, whom we met at the Shootout and rode with during variegated parts of the rest of the ride.
After a nice trip to shake out the legs and a very long coffee stop to regroup, we started the Madera Pass Climb. The whence was scenic with a surprising value of green. Some folks were braver than I, and tested their legs one last time while I cruised at a steady pace with Jeremy, chatting and snacking withal the way. That is until the last few pitches, which were in glut of 15%, but hey, we had unbearable energy to stare at our stems for a little while longer.
My favorite part was the Box Pass gravel climb. My legs were feeling a bit like pool noodles without the Madera Pass climb and descent, but they soon regained feeling as I got excited to go off the tile onto gravel. The unmaintained winding road through the pass was smooth at parts, and a gnarly washboard at others, but trappy views and the thrill of dirt were constant. This time Dustin was happy to trip with me while enjoying the sights. We stopped to take some pictures withal the way. There were moments of hilarity when we realized we had no traction standing still and could not get when on our bikes afterwards. But sooner the pitch would relent ever-so-slightly, permitting us to protract to spin our way up.
We regrouped once gravel turned to pavement, said goodbye to the ATVers and the cows, and started the 35 miles of descent when to the house. It was ripping fast and mostly easy, with a nice gas station stop to stock up on water and Sour Patch Kids, but of course, I flatted once then 25mi from home (a torn sidewall stock-still with the overly useful dollar bill). Dustin and I let the rest of our group go, and cruised when in a two-man paceline.
The last day of WTC is unchangingly an epic, and this tres leches of venture definitely was the highlight of my week. I want to requite a special shoutout to our road captains Jeremy and Sarah, who took MIT Cycling to Arizona for the first time, planned everything from scratch, made every ride a blast, and kept everyone happy and safe. Our alumni moreover deserve a special mention, taking time out of their rented schedules to share some special memories with us and contribute to the team spirit. Catching up with now-alumni friends is a really wondrous part of WTC, and it was special to ride with Dustin, Amy and Stan again.”
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We are so grateful to have had a wonderful (and safe!) training zany experience, growing individually in strength and riding ability, as well as growing together as a team. Next up – race season in just a few weeks!
