South to the Old Pueblo - Part 1

Hello, Tucson!

During our almost two decades of time here in Arizona, we've participated in many of the state's well established athletic events; between the two of us, we've done the P.F. Chang's/Rock and Roll Arizona half or full marathons multiple times, the Lost Dutchman marathon, Ironman Arizona, the Mountain Man triathlon in Flagstaff, the Tucson Marathon, and of course, many, many Ragnar races, both on the road and on the trail.  All of this was awesome, but there was another notable Arizona event we were still missing - the El Tour de Tucson bike race.  

El Tour has been riding for 40 years now, and it's a big deal; several friends have ridden in the past, and overall, they've spoken well of it (the notable exception was one year where it poured buckets of rain all day, but that's not El Tour's fault).  It's been on Chris' list for a while now, and this year, he got his rear in gear and signed up (this was the first year the organization also ran an affiliated 5K race, and I enrolled in that).  His work buddy Nate, who lives in Flagstaff, registered for the 100 mile distance, and Chris did the same in early summer.  Although he didn't have a chance to train while we were on the epic summer camper trip, once we made it back home, his biking started in earnest.  

Chris did most of his long training rides on Saturdays with Jake, who, at the time, was signed up for Ironman Arizona; after their first 60 mile ride of the season, Chris decided that was a fine distance for him, and he dropped down from the 100 to 63 mile course (also known as the metric century, since it's a 100km route).  Jake, not totally stoked about the amount of training required for a full Ironman (it truly takes over your life), pivoted and also signed up for the 63 miler.  In mid-November, it was time for everyone to head south to Tucson for the weekend!

We took the Friday before race day off work, so we started our morning with breakfast at a newer spot, the Toasted Owl Cafe (the original location is in Flagstaff, and it was delicious - the cafe is decorated in kitschy owl decor, so I was in heaven).  After dropping the maniacs at daycare, we puttered around the house for a bit, and after lunch, started our short drive down the 10.  Before too long, we arrived in Tucson and at our lodging for the next two nights, the Leo Kent Hotel, right in the middle of downtown; it was a race-affiliated hotel, so we scored a discount AND Marriott points - hooray!

Looking toward the Leo Kent from the Convention Center.

That's it on the left with the blue roof (behind the tree).

It was the tallest building around, which was super helpful in always finding our way back.

The St. Augustine Cathedral is in the right of the shot

Even though we arrived earlier than our 4pm check-in, our room was ready, so we unpacked the truck and settled in.  Before too long, we were out on the street, walking the very short distance to the Tucson Convention Center, which served as the expo and HQ for the bike race.

Packet pick-up was quick and easy (it always helps to hit up the race expo before everyone local is off work for the day), and after scoping out the start/finish area for Saturday morning, it was back to the hotel to rest and change before dinner.

Affixing his numbers to his bike, helmet, and jersey

Dinner was just around the corner from us, at a spot called the Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery.  Not only were Jake and Keeli able to join us, but Bryan and Jen (who live in Marana, just north of Tucson proper) did, too!  It was wonderful to see everyone and check in on what's been happening since we camped at Kartchner Caverns together in mid-October ("I had a hole cut in my face - what about you?").  I took zero pictures at dinner, as I'm lame, but here's one from that camping trip:

From left, Chris, me, Jen, Bryan, Keeli, and Jake

We all looked fancier than this at dinner - probably smelled better, too

I did grab this shot of downtown and the Hotel Congress,

an (allegedly) haunted local landmark and event venue

The short walk back to the Leo Kent didn't take long (seriously, this hotel was in the middle of everything - it was a fantastic location), and after laying a few more things out for the next day, it was off to dream land for the two of us.

Saturday morning started early for me - I was awake a solid hour before my 6am alarm - so I did my normal routine and headed to the bathroom to read so Chris could sleep on.

In addition to being conveniently located, the Leo Kent had so many

cool touches that integrated the Tucson area, including native products,

paintings from local artisans, and this neat cactus/desert plant wallpaper in the bathroom.

Once the proper time rolled around, I made some pre-run breakfast and watched the sky lighten.  The forecast had been calling for rain on and off, so what the weather would be like was truly anyone's guess.

Looking at Tucson's "A" Mountain from our hotel room

(different from Tempe's "A" Mountain - yes, they each have one)

Let's do this thing!

Posing in front of the start line - all of the rides/races used the same start line;

while the bikers all finished here, we runners concluded our race at a nearby park.

And I'm off!

My 5K went great!  Admittedly, my expectations were on the lower side - I just wanted to run the entire way - after a year of injury and illness (thankfully, not super serious in either case), I hadn't run longer than 2 miles continuously since last December, so making it through all 3 without a walk break was a triumph.  My pace was also pretty decent - around a 9:30 per mile average - which was good enough for 6th in my age group.  As I crossed the finish line, I picked up my medal, a water, and a chocolate covered Oreo on a stick, and I started heading back toward the bike start line, to meet Chris and wish him well on his ride.  Rounding the corner, I gasped in excitement and surprise - look what I found:

The Oscar Meyer lady taking the shot told me to yell, "cheesy weenies!"

and I believe I may have surprised her with my enthusiasm.

Making it back to the start line, I found Chris, and since it had just started to sprinkle rain, we found shelter under the overhang at the Convention Center.

It's Oreo time!

A close up of the mural - I loved this little smiley (smirkey?) javalina

We also found Jake and Keeli, and the four of us clustered together out of the rain.

Check out Jake's cool Nasa riding kit

Before too long, it was time for the gentlemen to move into the start line mob and take their spots in the pack.

Riders and sherpas selfie time!

Just a very small snippet of the start line madness

There they go!

Wishing them a safe ride, I headed back to the hotel for a warm shower and some dry clothes.  While Bryan had to work on Saturday, Jen graciously offered to pick me up and drive to a spot on the course where we could cheer on the boys, and I was looking forward to spending time with her!

On the next post, Jen and I find a good spectator spot, Chris and Jake finish the ride, and we have a fun Saturday night in downtown Tucson!

Later!

Amy