Saturday, February 14, 2009

2-14-09 Ride - Tour de Palm Springs

Drove in the morning to Palm Springs, picking up Joe at his house on the way. We got a little lost around San Jacinto, but we quickly got back on the right route. Arrived about 30 min before the ride and picked up our wristbands. Met up with John, who was staying in Palm Springs with May. The crowd of riders leaving at the same time as us was big, so it wasn't until ~8:15 before we started. The first few miles were slow, as we navigated through all of the slower riders. When we made the turn out by the windmills, it was into the teeth of a pretty strong wind and gradually uphill. This part of the ride was the most strenuous, but it wasn't too bad. Passing all other riders. Got up to the top of the climb and waited for John and Joe to catch up. The rest of the ride was a mix of downhill and minor climbs. We stopped at each of the sag stops to reconnect, as well as at a couple of other intersections. After the initial climb section, John and rode together the rest of the way, although at the very end, he had a lot more gas in the tank than I did, and he separated from me a little bit. Finished the ride in 2:58:40, and, boy, was I glad to be done. No soreness, just lack of drive in my quads. Joe was slower, but he finished in great shape and was really glad that he did the ride. Had lunch at a small Thai restaurant, then Joe and I drove back home. I made a couple of wrong turns but no great problems. I think I was just really tired. Overall, it was a very good day, with just a little difficulty at the very end. Average speed = 18.9 mph. Total mileage = 56.5 mi. http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/palm-springs/837411655551