Prepping For Palm Springs

 With my adventure coming up in just months now, I am working on training. I exercise almost everyday and try to take part in rides when available in order to see how my current equipment is working, any adjustments that need to be made, and additional training to put into the regiment.

This weekend I will be in Palm Springs, CA taking part in Tour de Palm Springs. It looks to be a beautiful ride with only a couple of challenging climbs. I am looking forward to it and am excited a couple members of my team will be there to share the ride. Depending on the course and terrain, any distance has the possibility of being a challenge. While my last ride I did a century (100+ miles) this time I will only be doing the 51 mile course. There are time constraints this time I need to take into consideration. 

One thing I have noticed to be a challenge for training is the weather, or lack of it, in my lovely Las Vegas.  Ride 22 On 66 will take place over the course of 22 days and will take me from Chicago to Santa Monica. There is a vast variety of terrain, weather, and riding conditions I will face and finding a way to train for that is difficult. For one thing, the dessert doesn't have a lot of humidity, or bugs. People laugh at me when I bring up the second part, but for me it is the bigger issue. I have been away from mosquitoes and most other insects for years now. I am not used to them buzzing in my ears and flying around my face which can be extremely distracting. I am hoping in the next couple months to make some trips up to Utah and find more humidity and hopefully areas with bugs to give me a chance to practice with them.

Winds are another concern. I intend to ride unless the wind speed reaches a dangerous level (30mph sustained, or 50mph gusts). These winds are not common out here. We get 15-20mph days and I try to get out on the bike when we do but they are hard to predict. 

Along with having a rough time practicing in strong winds, it is understandably frustrating to find driving rain to ride in. Even on the rare occasions we do experience precipitation, it is usually light and extremely short lived. I don't have to deal with flooded gutters, water lashing at my face, or riding while soaked to the bone. However, the midwest states especially, and most of the eastern has of the route in general, are locations where any and all of these conditions could come into play. 

So as I increase my resistance on my indoor bike, and take to the streets for practice on the few conditions I can duplicate, I am always looking for ways to take it to the next level and make sure when the time comes I am ready. For now, it is time to load up. Palm Springs, here we come.