We made it to Apache Junction, but it was a long day. I awoke at 3:30 a.m. in order to pick up Brian and get to the airport in time for our 6:50 a.m. flight to Phoenix. The flight was fine, and we actually arrived ahead of schedule and had to wait for a gate in order to deplane. Our bags were the first ones off the conveyor belt—I hope we don’t have to pay karma back and wait forever when we get back to Philadelphia. Beth picked us up, and we were promptly back at the Marriott in Tempe (where we ended our trip last year) by 10:30 AM. I had my Bike Friday assembled and I was ready to ride in no time, but Brian had lots of trouble with his cable couplers, and he had to drop the bike off at a bike shop in Tempe. We ate a nice lunch and were riding by 2:00 p.m. Today’s ride was mostly in congested, suburban-type neighborhoods with lots of traffic stops and school dismissals (oof), but we arrived at the Best Western in Apache Junction by 4:30. Tomorrow will be a much harder ride to Globe—we will climb about 4000 feet over 55 miles.

Well my bike is ready to ride!

Bike shop to the rescue! Just had the front cable to the rear derailleur and rear cable to the front but everything else was right!

Pit stop on the way to Apache Junction around 3:30 in the afternoon.

Nice motel! Almost rode right past it!

Waiting for Beth to give us room keys.

Can’t finish a ride without a few Fat Tires.

Hard to believe we are a month away from this year’s ride from Phoenix to El Paso. Overall, I would say it has been a good year. I’ve actually been back to Arizona twice since last March. Holly and I visited White Stallion Ranch in May and again in December. It is a dude ranch outside of Tucson. Great place for a vacation.

Great desert and mountain view

Holly riding in the desert

Tim, Brian, and I tried to ride as much as possible over the summer. Here are some photos of a few of those rides.

It was a very hot and humid Sunday morning.

Matt, Tim, Brian and Chris

A covered bridge somewhere in Delaware.

One of the many horse farms along one of our favorite routes

“You can map out a fight plan or a life plan, but when the action starts, it may not go the way you planned, and you’re down to your reflexes — that means your preparation. That’s where your roadwork shows. If you cheated on that in the dark of the morning, well, you’re going to get found out under the bright lights.” — Joe Frazier

Having this big ride keeps me focused. I have an almost 60-year-old body but the spirit of a little boy. In order to make the two coexist, I have to keep the body in shape so the spirit can play. Therefore, I’m always in training mode, and have been all year. Tim and Brian are the same, I’m sure. We still ride together on the weekends, weather and time permitting.

Most days, I spend 30-60 minutes on my inside training bike with my iPod and a book to fight the boredom. Then I walk my dogs for 45 minutes. I lift weights a few times a week as well. You gotta do the early morning roadwork!

This song was on more than a few of my playlists:

I am really looking forward to this year’s trip. It is fun to do normal everyday things in unfamiliar settings. Last year Beth and I made dinner in a small kitchenette at the Westward Motel in Salome, AZ, for example. (Tim and Brian, you are welcome.) Talking to strangers at rest stops, finding loose change on the street, drinking a few beers at the end of the day…these are the little things that I remember fondly. I am hoping that this year I will conquer the New Mexico mountains while letting my inner boy escape to have as much fun as possible.