Papago is for Tuesdays

Sunset Biking at Papago Park, Tempe

It is always a good idea on your second ever mountain biking attempt 2.5 months following a major knee surgery to go riding with two people who are really fit and have been racing major recently. Then you get a true measurement for just how out of shape you are when they kick your ass up steep loose dirt hills.

Last night I met up with Crazy Rower #2 and Jacko for some inner city mountain biking. Jacko just got back from the Sea Otter Classic and CR #2 just finished the Whiskey 50 at Prescott so they are both racing fit and ride quite a bit. We hit up Papago Park in Tempe is a great ride for both beginners and those looking for a really tough climbing workout. There are easy trails with fun loopies and then there are big piles of loose dirt hills with something resembling a trail snaking straight up the side that are hard work in granny gear to get to the top without spinning out. I told them to take it easy on me, so they took me to that part, because they are nice like that.

It felt so good out there and the weather was beautiful (temps in the 70s) as we rode with the setting sun. I appreciate the last of these cooler nights before the real heat hits and temps won't be below 100 until 2 am. I once again had my heart rate spike to ridiculous heights way before my legs began to feel tired, but that is to be expected when riding up steep grades on loose dirt.

Overall, it was the best way to spend a Tuesday night that I even know about...LOL.* Thanks friends for the re-initiation into mtbing and for taking me on that trail that dead ended so we had to ride straight down the side of a mountain off trail skirting cactus and large rocks to hook back up to a real trail. That was fun.

*Inside joke, sorry you aren't part of it.