This past month has flown by for Aaron and I as we celebrated a chilly New Year's in Tucson, just at the base of Mt. Lemmon in a cozy B&B, "Jeremiah Inn". We experienced about 2-3 weeks of 'Arizona winter' where the temperatures dropped into the 30's and we were bundled up with leggings, caps, and jackets on our rides. As the weather had turned over New Years, the snowfall on Lemmon caused the road to close so we could not climb to the top. This allowed us to explore the entire eastern and southern roads of Tucson. We even bumped into Tom Danielson who was riding w/out any logos. We recognized him from the days when he raced collegiate in our Rocky Mountain Cycling Conference. He had just come from the road block on Mt. Lemmon and gave us a brief update on the situation. "Need any water or food?" he offered as he had his own follow car for his training ride. "We're still good, but thanks."

The second week of January, our friends from the United Healthcare Pro Cycling Team returned for their team camp and sponsor summit. Aaron was busy fitting and wind tunnel testing the team. I was working with their staff on media appearances (we had a few tv stations at the store!) and attending their sponsor meetings and banquet. With the late nights and early mornings, we had little time to ride, until the weekend when we could tag along with the team. I rode with the sprinters and Aaron went with the climbers. I packed a bag with clothes, my Kindle, and some food just thinking I would get dropped with a few hours to sit in the team car. As we rode down the B-Line, I sat tucked inside the pack and took just a few pulls, knowing my limitations. I remembered the previous ride in December where I forgot to eat and drink enough before it was too late and I was popped at mile 70. This time I came prepared with a pair of ENVE wheels with Chris King hubs and was constantly eating and drinking to keep my legs from cramping. The team practiced their lead-out train as I held onto the draft as long as possible. When they would 'go', the acceleration was so fast, I couldn't hold on and they would take off! But the team car would come around and I would jump into the draft and soon we would pick up the other riders that had pulled off after their sprint. We'd regroup, pedal for a while and they'd start their practice all over again. I was delighted when I finished the entire 5 hour ride with them! They stayed in Scottsdale until early last week when the team dispersed all over the world - some to Tour de San Luis and others to Europe and parts of the US. Then soon enough, our first race came on Sunday the 19th - a crit in Avondale. Believe it or not, I had such low expectations going into the race. It was an open women's field and I was so used to the first part of the season when everyone is out-of-shape from the winter. This is not the case in Arizona - everyone is in GREAT shape, including the novice riders, and the race was very competitive and fast! I even bumped into my friend Anna Barnesfield who had been training in Tucson and now riding for the women's pro team, Tibco. My teammate Liz was doing her first crit, so I instructed her to stay on a wheel and just hang in there. Anna and I worked together a few times but her racing fitness was much higher than mine as she was heading to her first race in Qatar. The race had it's moments of being pretty sketchy as people would wobble through the turns or take a turn too wide. But it wasn't their fault being new to the sport and the field being combined. At one point I attacked and Anna went with me. I thought for sure we would get away. We came through on a prime, I was on her wheel and I noticed she was easing up so I could take the prime - however my legs had nothing so I let her have it. Later she left the prime envelope on the seat in my car, "You should have had that, Melissa!" The last lap I wasn't in a great position but came from the back to finish 5th. My body hurt! Wow, that was a first crit in Arizona!

The following day, although my body still hurt from racing, Aaron took me on an epic ride up Mt. Humboldt, elevation 5,204ft.

This past Sunday was a time trial in Picacho, AZ (the halfway point from Phoenix to Tucson). You can see the most interesting drivers on the I-17!

They offered an Eddy Merckx category and since I don't have a time trial bike, I signed up. In Eddy Merckx, you have to ride a traditional road bike with no aero equipment including: skin suit, tt bars, aero helmet, or deep dish wheels. It was a full out 20K effort and I finished 1st in my race. Aaron came away with 6th. We spun around for awhile and then returned home just in time for some good ol Mexican and time to finish building my new Cervelo S5!