Santa Clause was seen this weekend at Buckelew Farms at Swan And Sunrise Picking up a tree with an elf.  After loading it onto a tow behind Sled he and the elf were observed riding East Towards Sabino Canyon.

Drivers  waved enthusiastically and honked horns as they passed the Biking Santa,  many even pulling U turns to came back and snap a photo.

When asked why he was in Tucson on a bike Mr. Claus responded “this is part of my physical training in preparation the big night later this month.  I’ve put in over 5,000 miles in the saddle this year and climbed over 250,000 feet.  I feel the best I have in years.  Only issue is Mrs. Claus is going to need to bring in all my suits.”

When you get your tree go to a Local. Buckelew Farm has 8 Locations:

1. Ina & La Cholla      (between Walgreens and Macaroni Grill)
2. Swan & Sunrise      (Ace Hardware center)
3. Oracle & Rudisill      (next to Putney’s)
4. Broadway & Campbell      (Northeast corner)
5. Grant and Swan (Trader      Joe’s Center)
6. Sabino Canyon & Tanque Verde      (Safeway center)
7. 22nd & Harrison      (Fry’s center)
8. Ajo & I-19 (Fry’s      center)

4 types of Trees

• Nordmann Fir
• Noble Fir
• Douglas Fir
• Grand Fir

Hours:

• Weekdays 10:00am – 8:30pm
• Friday 10:00-9:00pm
• Weekends 9:00am -9:00pm

We also sell:

• Fresh wreaths
• Fire wood (by the wheel barrel)
• Tree Stands
• Hatch Chile Strings

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOU LOCAL FAMILY FARM

About Our Trees

We use a small farm in Oregon and we are their largest client.  One advantage of working with a small farm is that we are able to pick out the best quality of trees for our customers.  Another advantage of working with a smaller farm is that when the trees are cut they are loaded on the truck and come to us the next day.  This differs from the large box store suppliers who cut hundreds of thousands of trees to supply their chains.  The big box store farms start cutting trees in October and storing them so the trucks can start hauling all over the country.  This means you could get a tree from a box store that was cut over a month ago versus our trees that are cut the day before they get loaded.  For this reason, we can guarantee the trees throughout the holiday season and ensure our customers have the best quality there is to offer

2 seconds.  If he was 2 seconds faster we would have moved up to the podium.

4 points separated 1-3 place in the final race with the winner taking 1918 points.

In the year end overall total 2^nd and 3^rd place finished 1 point apart with 7675 v 7674 points. ONE POINT!!!!

The final race for both El Grupo composite and Tucson High teams were brutal.  It saw stitches, medics, flats and some of the worse finishes for some of our top athletes.  With just the smallest changes in fate, we could have won the day and the composite team could have been on the podium.  BUT, we had the day we had.  Every team could just as easily make the same claims.  If this mechanical had not happened, or had there star not run in the State High School Track finals the previous day, or had the bottle not been fumbled in the feed zone….

I can’t help but think  that there are some athletes out there that have printed the final results and are now aware that ONE point matters.  That one race that they pulled up at the end and were passed, that time they let the other racer get away, or they felt the burn and listened to it, the other racer who crashed them out, and the ones who took the dangerous but faster line, those that surged to the front for the hole shot, the countless hours training… all those little decisions made the difference in the end.  What a great lesson for life for these students.   It ALL does matter.  It ALL does count at the end of the day.  We are all going to get bumps and bruises on the way there, but those that grind on end up at the top.

After the race I was talking with Chloe Woodruff about some of the challenges we faced in the final race.   I told her it reminded me of something.  I searched for the word.  I told her it was on the tip of my tongue.  It was such a clear thought. How exactly could I articulate it? Oh yeah, It is like Mountain Bike racing.  Yes it’s true, that is what it is, and it has successfully completed its first season in the high school arena in Arizona.

Next year is going to be even bigger and better.  There are already plans to add a 5^th race.  With all the great press and with your help more people will know about the league.  I can’t wait!!!

If you missed any of the action from this year,  below are the links to the albums or check out The Damion Alexander Team on facebook.

Mens race 4

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153488007790154.1073741991.228735085153&type=3

Ladies race 4

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153487784590154.1073741990.228735085153&type=3

Team photos race 4

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153486294665154.1073741989.228735085153&type=3

Race 4 podiums

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153484549710154.1073741986.228735085153&type=3

Race 3

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153415908175154.1073741969.228735085153&type=3

Race1 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153314072455154.1073741957.228735085153&type=3

With everything that happened with Brendan Lyons this past week I never had a chance to write about the Tour Of The White Mountains.  Better late than never?

Tour of the White Mountains.

Have you had that break through moment in a race that makes you look back on that event with fondness.  The TWM was the first race where I pushed myself to a level that has in many ways defined me ever since.  It was about a year after I really got into riding, my longest Mountain Bike ride going into the race was perhaps 30 or 40  miles.  I signed up for the 60 mile race( Oh, for the record, I love him like a brother, but Epic Rides mastermind Todd Sadow can’t count- it was nearly 70 miles).  Summary: Made cut off by only a minute, was a mile past the last checkpoint when I flatted, my saddle bag was open and I had no spare or tire lever, I pumped the tire, rode a mile, flatted, pumped it again, rain started, rode half a mile, flat, mud, could not get tire pumped, more mud, mud and pine needles, mud like peanut butter, tires not spinning as a result of mud, walk, soles of shoes fell off,  carry bike 8 miles to finish.    Loved every second of it!!!

This year I was heading up to take pictures and enjoy the company of the bike community.  My good friend David Tang was good enough to drive and had an extra bed in his cabin.  We also had in our company a UA med student, Seth Turner, and David’s dogs, Taco and Tamale.  Mentally I was set for a mellow weekend and a short ride with thousands of pictures.   Somehow, plans changed and I somehow found myself entered in the 50 mile event.  I‘d like to tell that story, it’s a good story, but to protect my sources I will skip it.

David, Seth and I had a plan for the race.  Ride together. Push hard in the beginning.  Ride strong.  Finish strong.  Drink Beer.  It was a good plan.  It fell apart somewhere on the ride from the cabin to the start line  when we missed the gun by 15 minutes.  It quickly proceeded to a social ride.  I would ride ahead, take photos, let them pass, take photos, ride ahead, take photos, take photos as we rode, take more photos, have David tell me how annoying it is having someone ride casually past you taking photos.   It is my favorite type of ride.  Put in 20-45 minute efforts and then relax for a few minutes.  If we saw a pleasant meadow, we stopped and had a snack.  Aspen trees-stop.  Cows-stop.  Heavy equipment-stop, climb, photos.  After every stop we would catch the same riders who passed us throughout the day.   We took time at every opportunity to chat and thank the volunteers and eat oreos, pickles, and sandwiches at the aid stations.    Boys out playing on their bikes!

About 10 miles from the finish Seth decided to pick up the pace.  At about that time David busted a nipple and due to rubbing had to ride brake free. He was in a bad mental place as he was struggling with the bike and the long time in the saddle.   I held back a short distance, offering the occasional encouragement and enjoying the scenery.

About 4 or 5 miles to the finish David passed a guy who was off his bike.  I stopped to ask what the issue was (and to get a photo).  His bike shirt was in the design of a tuxedo and he had one of the most stunning handlebar moustaches I’ve seen.  He was a big boy, tall, solid and 240 pounds.  His trouble was that due to his massive size he had broken his chain.  He found a master link and fixed it once, but snapped it again.

After introductions, (his name is Jeff) I told him to get on his bike and I’d try and push him.  On the flats it beat walking, but it was a struggle for me to keep him moving.  It became especially challenging on the single track as I was forced to ride one handed, on the side of the trail and avoid rocks.  On the uphills he had to walk.  He encouraged me to leave him, but I was content to talk with him and make his ride pass faster.  Every checkpoint we passed they told us it was 2 miles to the finish.  3 times we were told 2 miles.  It almost became a joke (Apparently not only can Todd not count, but it is contagious and all of the volunteers are mathematically challenged).  At one point I decided to try and pull Jeff instead of push.  I was feeling it and was hoping a new position might help.  It was awesome.  It worked so well I was even able to pull him up the hills.  I grabbed his camel pack under his arm, leaned away from him as hard as I could land was able to grind out the last few miles.  At one point I told him I needed to put on my music and disappear.  At the end of a 50 mile ride I admit I was feeling it.  A few times we bumped handle bars and it felt like we were going down.  However, we rode to the finish with me holding onto the camel pack as we crossed the finish line together.

The race is put on by Epic Rides and it lived up to the name “Epic”.  New Belgium beer was pouring free beer, my favorite type, at the finish line.  Jeff and I had a toast to his finishing  and I ran off to watch the award ceremony.  I was loving life as many of my friends were getting hardware.  After the last award was presented, Todd Sadow said he had a special announcement.  He called Jeff and I up on the platform and recapped the last few miles of our ride to the audience.   I was on my second beer by that time(recovery fuel) and must say, physically and mentally, It really felt good.

I never expected that I’d have a ride in the TWM that would be more memorable than the day in the mud.  However, I think this day surpassed that one for one reason.  Friends!!!  Both new and old.  If you are reading my blogs, you might have noticed how much I value community and how determined I am to bring the cycling community together.  Physically, this might have been one of the greater challenges I’ve ever had, but mentally this fuels me.  I’d gladly have pulled Jeff another 5 miles and would do the same for any of you.  We have something really special going on with the bikes and I can’t wait to get out there and meet you on the trail.  Thanks for reading.

I post all sorts of event photos to facebook.  Please like The Damion Alexander Team and check out the Tour of the White MTNS 2013.  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153334746475154.1073741961.228735085153&type=3

It’s Tuesday.  I’ve gone nearly a week without going for a bike ride. Before that, I don’t think I’ve gone two consecutive days without riding is the past two years. At one point I rode every day for over a year. So how is it possible a guy who was riding every day can find himself off his bike?  Am I hurt?  No.  Was I super busy at work? No.  Did I opt to swim, hike, climb, ski?  No.

I just had a few days where I did not ride and then I found it hard to get the motivation to get back on the bike the next few days.

The last time I experienced this was after a Solo 24 hour race a few years back where I was really burnt out.  What was incredible was how 5 days can quickly become 5 weeks. Months later you look in the mirror and realize you are really in shape, the shape of a pair that is.

Today I’m writing this as much as a memo to myself to get back on the bike this afternoon and not repeat the mistakes of my past.  If you have been out of the saddle for too long, I challenge you to get back on the bike tonight.  The weather is cooling down in the late afternoon and the light is still up after work. If you get home after dark, Ordinary Bike Shop has 200 Lumen lights for around $50 and 300/400  lumen lights for around $100 bucks.  This really extends your riding options.

When I made the commitment to ride every day that ends in a ‘y” for an entire year, I found a few tricks that made riding much easier.  At the end of every ride, make sure your bike is ready for the next ride.  If you have any mechanical issues, take care of them immediately. Never, ever leave a bike with a flat tire!!! Those pesky squeaks need attention.  It will cost more later, so keep your steel horse running in the best condition.  I have a few bikes, so in the case that something does break on the way out the door, I grab another bike.  I’ve also come home and swapped out bikes just to make sure I get a ride in.  Leave your bike clothing out and ready for the ride.  This should include everything from socks, shoes, road I.D., shorts/bib, butt butter, sun screen, jersey, music, gloves, helmet, nutrition bars, and water bottles.  Keep a saddle bag full of Co2(I have 3 cartridges) 2 tubes and a patch kit and a multi-tool with a chain tool.  Learn at least the basics for maintaining your bike and fixing flats.   Get the rides in before work, as the day moves on, it gets harder and harder to get on the bike as more distractions present themselves.  Join teams, group rides or friends to add a level of accountability. Commute to work.  If you are feeling a little sick or low on energy, go for a recovery ride or quick easy spin.  Often times this will clear your head and lead to a longer ride, other times it just makes you feel better.

After typing this I’m pumped. How about you? I’ll be on my bike today at 4:30 with El Grupo.  Time set, clothing is ready to go, LETS RIDE!

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I’m typing this at 8:52 PM.  I wrote the post above this morning.  So life got in the way today.  I had a party at 3:30 at 5 palms.  Free food, free booze, networking.  It would have been so easy to give up on the ride and stuff my face.  Choices.  Life is full of choices.  I went to 5 palms, said hello to the people I needed to see, gave my free drink tickets to a friend and went and rode my bike.