...and can you believe I road 91 miles last Sunday (Phoenix) with bikeshorts, short sleeve jersey and was appalled when I discovered that I got a farmer's tan during the ride. The horror!!!

Just so you know, it's not all sun and fun in the desert. Wednesday got rained on for 45 min of my almost 2 hr ride. Today head wind going out on the IM course, go past the turn around climb 9 mile hill head back and now have a head wind going back to the transition area. Never made it back to the transition area. it started to rain, no big deal but then it got cold and hailed. Hail hurts. Then came the lighting that hit the hillside about 200m from us. The rain got heavier, the hail bigger (ouch) and it got colder. Bailed on the rest of the ride, turned around headed to Wendy's to get some chili and play ET.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

After the ride folow up with how it went.

Pretty fun day....perhaps a bit more "adventurous" than usual. My Gatorade froze a lil faster than usual. They should really market "Gatorade Slushies"....they taste great! Had a Gumpy Old Man (literally) run me off the road. He heard me say $%@# $#^ @$$%^&^ as I biffed into a snow bank. He had the gall to put it in reserve to "scare me" and yell back. I would have punched him, but was too busy scrambling for my cell phone to take a pix of his license plate (a trick I learned last summer). Well, talking a pix actually pisses people off more than shouting, so then went on to be "nice" and explain why he clipped me. I wasn't impressed, so just got back on my bike. No time for jerks.

Took a stop at 2:30 for hot chocolate and a warm-up....forgot to turn the 201 back on, but ended with around 4:15.

I'd be curious to know how much "more" I'm working out (with all the gear, fenders, knobbies) than it being 60+ w/slicks. I felt pathetically slow and got pretty sore. Anybody have an idea? This winter IM training could either be really good or really bad.....

Desert - yeah, I'd have to admit hail would be much worse than what I deal with. Yikes! Perhaps a reason to buy a Prolouge over vented helmet!

If it makes you feel any better, while driving back to Mesa I thought of you guys when I saw those dark clouds roll across Fountain Hills/Scottsdale.

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**All of these words finding themselves together were greatly astonished and delighted for assuredly, they had never met before**

Yeah, Hail must suck.. But man do I miss Phoenix this week-end.. Here it's raining/snowing even running will be tough outside.. so I settled for a 2:30 spin class this morning wondering how in the world I would train for IMAZ if I didn't buy a place in Phoenix.. I CAN'T wait to go back next week-end!!!!

doesn't make me feel much better, but using all the hot water sure did! smitty dude your hardcore, I'm sure a desert rat if it's below 30 I don't even get out of bed.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

really you didn't miss much. cold, wet, windy and a headwind the whole ride except for 9 miles. oh, I lmost forgot about the lighting striking the hillside about 200m away from us. joy joy.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta