A taste of NORBA

After a long day traveling we finally met up with the gang for dinner. Feels like old times again and it's great to be around my biking buddies. We had a very late dinner, 10:00PM Milwaukee time and I was a bit nauseous and very tired after a long day and could barely eat my dinner.

Fountain Hills is about 40 minutes from Sanjay and Anna's home and so far we have made three round trips back and forth to the course sine everyone is racing at different times. My first ride was a great welcome and the smell of the fresh desert flowers filled the air of a sweet orange scent and the views are just awesome.

The temps are in the 80's a welcome treat but the desert heat takes up your thirst to a whole new level. I had the chance to do my very first Super D race yesterday and it was a blast. I did not pre-ride the course so I did not know what to expect. Each 100+ rider went off one by one every 15 seconds. I had the opportunity to see each and every one of the pro women and some of the pro men start off and that was exciting. Man, everyone who was racing yesterday, all looked mean and lean, very intimidating. They ended up posting my name under the expert men so after waiting and waiting they decided instead of making me wait till the very end of the race to go with the others that also got there times screwed up, they put me first for the expert women, yikes! I put on my I pod shuffle to my favorite tune up until 30 seconds to go, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, BEEP and I was off. I had a great start and hammered it as hard as I could for as long as I could. The best part was riding into the sunset for my race. I think I like this, 20 minutes or so of suffering and then it is over. I am not complaining about my time 23:38 for my first super D, 4th in my age last but not least! I don't think I ever went so fast in my life and I was the SLOW one. I had three girls catch me and I hung on almost the entire time but they got me. I have no idea who they are or there age and it did not matter to me, it was fun! The last half of the course had a sandy gravel pit and my front tire took a left and I had to unclip and dismount and hop back on, I lost time going into the final 2 minute or so climb to the finish. I was spent.

The Luna Chicks Pro cycling van is a pretty nice set up for those girls.

All there bikes neatly lined up all clean and ready to go. Allison Dunlap had a cycling clinic and I was not sure where all the other girls were but one lucky young girl got a special one on one personal instruction from her and it looked like fun. They were practicing in the parking lot.



more pics and stories coming.