first day of Tucson camp

hate to rub it in to everyone back it east, but it was 90 degrees here today and not a cloud in the sky!

We started the day with a swim at the outdoor pool at 7am. We put the campers through a nice 90 minute session while simultaneously working with each person on their form/stroke.

We then had a big breakfast before getting ready to ride. It felt so good to ride outside - and without taking 45 minutes to get dressed and worrying about skin being exposed to severe wind chill. We did a 3.5 hr ride through a park out here that was really cool. We did some decent climbing including an out and back jaunt up a set of switch backs that included pitches at 17%. The group, although advised to take today easy, started out a bit aggresive. I think the anxiousness of riding and in such great weather left most a bit jumpy initially. However, as the heat and distance increased, the pace decreased. Many salt caked athletes by the end of the ride.

I took my new Cannondale System Six out for it's maiden voyage today, and I can honestly say that it's the best road bike I've ever ridden. The system integration is the real deal. The bike performs as a whole unit, instead of a frame with components. Sounds like bunk, but anyone that's ridden one will understand what I'm talking about.

We headed out for an interesting 45 minute brick run. We headed south on a trail along a dried up river bed. On the return trip, we ran in the river bed which was thick sand - a great strength builder which everyone seemed to enjoy:) I was a bit up ahead and could hear this crackling sound. I turned to see a huge fire in teh brush behind me. Brian and Jerry ran up the side of the river bank to call the fire department. The dryness of this climate combined with the windy day had this thing spreading incredibly fast. We finished the run and took a dip in the pool to cool off. Then we headed off for pizza and a few Guiness.

All in all, a great day! We have a really nice and fun cast of characters attending this camp. Everyone is sticking to one of the main rules which is to have a sense of humor. Sarah, the lone woman, won the mvp today. she'll be reporting something on my site within the next day. She was a collegiate swimmer and cruised through the swim session. She was nervous about the ride and more than held her own - and this was after making huge adjustments to her bike position yesterday afternoon!

OK, I'm going to bed now, but I'll send some pipctures to Alan tomorrow to post.

Cheers,

EH