Monday, October 3, 2011

The Last Day


Days 182 – 184, September 30 – October 2, 2011 – The Last Day


Route from Wickenburg to Paradise Valley, AZ

66 miles, averaging 14.5 mph

Worst Moment – While I suffered a flat tire about 20 miles outside of Wickenburg, I really believe that the worst moment of the day was the realization that the Big Ride is really coming to a close.  And, even though, things didn’t end as expected, it is sort of bittersweet knowing that The Ride is not what I’ll be doing now.

Best Moment – About 7th Avenue on the canal bicycle path, my good cycling buddy, Tim met me for the “Ride In.”  Tim and I’ve trained for and ridden in two ALC San Francisco to LA rides over about 7 years.  It was so great to have his company coming back into Phoenix.

The route from Wickenburg to Phoenix was mainly on Highway 60 and is fairly flat and mostly downhill.  The shoulders were huge.  After riding for 25 miles through the desert, I began to see the urban sprawl of Phoenix. 


Just east of the Sun Cities, I got on the canal bicycle path, which I followed until the Dreamy Draw.  After climbing the short hill to the top, there was just a brief ride through NE Phoenix to Chris’s house in PV.


The temperatures seemed vicious.  There was a temperature sign indicating it was 98 degrees and that was at 10:30 in the morning!  Compared to my last 6 weeks in Guerneville, CA and Jackson, WY, this was just plain brutal!

The hand is still not back to normal and every bump in the road sent painful reminders of its status.  The swelling returned and the knuckles retreated in the puffiness I experienced.  I also felt the time off the bike in my legs and seat.  The Klein has more of a race saddle and less of a touring seat, which probably exacerbated my seat’s sensitivity.

In order to arrive at the finish line at 3, Tim & I stopped for Starbucks before heading south on 64th Street.  I called Neita from the intersection of 64th & Northern so she could get the small, cherished welcoming party positioned.  It was magnificent to see these wonderful friends and family with streamers, balloons and poppers to welcome me back to where it all began.


Within the next few days, I’ll post a “Reflections of the Ride Blog” – so stay tuned.

I feel it is especially significant that Bills Big Ride concluded on October 2.  This is Livestrong day and the day that Lance Armstrong decided to fight the cancer that nearly ended his life.  If you would like to donate to my ride, to help others fight cancer, my link for the Lance Armstrong Foundation is http://grassroots2011.livestrong.org/billsbigride197.  I really appreciate your support.