Missed Tour de Palm Springs

About a month ago, I decided to sit out this year’s Tour de Palm Springs.  Recovering from a lower back pain and missing training most of December, I knew I would not be ready physically.  Completing the century would be difficult on sheer well along, not mentioning that I succumbed to the flu just days before the event.

 

To begin with, I had an aggressive training schedule; I wanted to ride my first century only two months after getting my new bike.  By mid-January, I had only logged about 500 miles on the new bike, and my lower back still tinkled after 40-mile rides.  I needed time to get stronger, to build my base and endurance.

 

So like any Saturday morning, I put on my gears and headed towards Deerfield Park, where the riders from the local cycling club BCI gathered.  I had expected to be empty because of Tour de Palm Springs, but to my amazement, I found a sizable group of cyclists when I got to the park.  It turned out to be a nice day to ride, and I made two new friends — Arnold and Will.

 

Click to see the ride detail.