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    El Tour de Tucson

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The results are in! Riders for the Cure did amazingly well on Saturday, and we at Komen SAZ give a big thank you to all who rode and raised money. Donations are still coming in, but so far we've raised $28,000!

Some highlights:

* Ryan Mazura clocked 4 hrs 42 mins 57 seconds and came in 96th in the 111-mile stint. It was his aim to finish in the top 100. Way to go, Ryan!

* Komen SAZ's executive director Jaimie Leopold finished the 60-mile on her recumbent trike in 6 hrs 13 mins 42 seconds.

* Komen's development and communications manager Julie Evans finished the 60-mile in just over 6 hours, also on a recumbent.

* Melissa Goldfinger finished in 4 hours 46 minutes and 10 seconds.

* Jennifer Reinhart's time was 3:56:50

* Donald Lewis Dunno took just 3 hours 20 minutes, 54 seconds.

Thanks again, all. Keep sending us your times and photos! To gcdrummond@aol.com, or post on our Facebook page.

 

 

Faces Behind the Race

* Meet the local company that's been instrumental in getting our exec director and development and communications manager on their bikes and training for El Tour de Tucson. Ajo Bikes at 1301 E. Ajo Way specializes in recumbent bicycles and tricycles - perfect for a pair who were keen to do the 60-mile ride but wanted to make it as easy on themselves as possible.

Leo Macner, who works at the store, rides a recumbent. "They're almost addictive. I like to be outdoors and when you're sitting on one of these it's so easy to see what's going on," he says. Recumbents help you get fit and are comfortable at the same time, says Leo. "It's like going on a go-kart."

Jaimie Leopold and Julie Evans, Komen SAZ's two representatives in tomorrow's race, both say they've caught recumbent bug, and intend to keep on cycling after El Tour's over

The Ajo Bikes team is pictured above with our executive director, Jaimie Leopold, in the foreground. Thanks guys!

* "It's not a race, it's a charitable event," says Ryan Mazura (pictured above) of El Tour de Tucson. Nevertheless Ryan, an employee of Southwest Gas and long-time cyclist, plans to improve his speed this year, his fourth time participating in the event.

"My goal is to be in the top 100. Last year I finished 132nd out of 9,000," says Ryan, who will ride the full 111 miles.

It's thank to Ryan that we have a Riders for the Cure team; his mother-in-law, Maria Elena Acuna, works for Komen SAZ and it was Ryan's idea that Komen try and become a beneficiary.

Ryan is pictured with his children, Regen and Jacey Mae.

 

 

*As well as being a major sponsor for our Riders for the Cure, Arizona Oncology is taking part in the ride too.

Several of its staff members will hit the road November 19, among them office manager Donna Martin (pictured above) and medical oncologist Dr Rachel Swart.

“When I turned 50 I said I wanted to do something for myself and the community,” says Donna, now 64, who has been riding El Tour de Tucson since then.

Donna began doing the 40-mile ride but, due to medical problems, now sticks to the 16-mile children’s ride. “I ride with the kids and I love it. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world, and I’m able to still get my rush,” she says.

This is Dr Swart’s second time riding the El Tour. A recreational cyclist who bikes with her husband, she did the 40-mile ride last year. The two train together and are raising money for leukemia and lymphoma research. Dr Swart’s father-in-law was diagnosed with acute leukemia in March and died in September.

Donna has been riding four miles a day in preparation for Saturday’s event, while Dr Swart rides two to three times a week, and has been doing longer rides on weekends.

But for Dr Swart, finding the time to train has been one of the most difficult aspects of taking part. The best bit? ”Meeting new riders and sharing in the experience of a sport that has become very dear to my heart,” she says.
 

* Robin Giles (pictured above) is a mother, nurse practitioner, wife of a breast cancer survivor, and newbie cyclist. She hadn't been on a bicycle since childhood, and on Saturday she'll cycle 60 miles in aid of Susan G. Komen SAZ.

Robin's husband is a breast cancer survivor and Robin takes part in Race for the Cure. "I had been meaning to try cycling and when I got an email from Susan G. Komen SAZ about El Tour de Tucson, I thought I'd give it a go," she says. "I literally went out and bought a bike and found out how to change the gears!"

 Robin, who recruited some girlfriends to join her as a Rider for the Cure, hopes to raise $2700 for breast cancer. Thanks for your support, Robin! 

(Listen to the story of her husband's battle with the disease by clicking here.)

  

El Tour Countdown: Are You Ready?     

• Whether you’re riding for us in this year’s El Tour de Tucson, or simply want to dust that bike off and get fit again, follow our tips for successful training.
  
  Over the last few weeks we've been sharing the views of cycling experts at TriK2 Kallio Koaching, Oro Valley Bicycle and TriSports to help get you shipshape.

 

• Week 3: Changing a Tire

Here's what you need:

* A pump (have one at home, one on your bike)

* A tire lever to get the tire out of the rim

* Spare tubes. Always carry these with you!

* CO2 cartridges (see below**), great for reinflating tires quickly.

* Puncture repair kit. Patch the inner tube properly and it will function just as well as a new tube.

Steps to take:

1. Loosen the nuts that attach the axle to the frame or, if it's a more modern bike, you may just have a quick-release mechanism that releases the wheel.

2. Remove the wheel from the frame.

3. Deflate the tube completely then remove it using tire levers, easing it under the wheel rim and prying the wheel out and repeating the process all around the circumference.

4. Either patch or replace inner tube, depending on the damage. The new tube should be just partially inflated.

5. Ease the tube back into the tire and inflate slowly.

For a short video on changing a tire, click here.

• Week 2: Safety Tips
  
  Here's what you need if you are riding alone:
  
  * Cell phone and cash
  * Road I.D.
  * Tools for changing a tire/repairing a puncture (spare tubes, tire levers, CO2 cartridges and attachment/adaptor head, Allen wrench set)
  * Nutrition and hydration (see Week 1 for suggestions)
  
  Wondering what a CO2** cartridge is? They're thumb-sized devices that hold highly pressurized carbon dioxide gas, and are useful for reinflating tires quickly.
  An inflator or adaptor head screws down onto the cartridge before the CO2 is released into the tire.
  The pros: they're light and simple to use. The cons: It can be difficult to gauge how much pressure they're delivering, which could cause a blown-out tire.
  They're designed for single use only.
  
  Make sure your bike has:
  * A bell
  * Front and back reflectors in case it gets dark
  * Rear-view mirrors
  
  And remember to ditch the headphones, and not to text or talk on the phone; the less distractions the better.
  
  Next week: How to use these tools to fix and change a tire

          Remember: The 29th El Tour De Tucson is on Saturday November 19th.

          For more information on taking part, or to donate to Susan G Komen SAZ’s Riders for the Cure, email Julie Evans at Julie@komensaz.org

• Week 1: Nutrition.
  
   You need to eat to train in order to run a race well. Learn to fuel your body. Treat it like a race car: feed your engine appropriately. Because just as your car runs differently on cheaper-grade gasoline, your body performs better the better fueled it is.
  
   You can’t diet and train at the same time! The purpose of this nutritional plan is to make you able to train and race. And although you will naturally lose some weight, this is NOT a diet plan.
  
   ·         Track everything you put in your mouth, and don’t have empty calories. These are ‘junk foods’ that provide no pure nutritional value to your body.
  
  ·         Try to shop the outside aisles in the grocery store.  This is where you will find your fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, meat and dairy.  You will need to have a good mix of protein to fuel your muscles as well as complex carbohydrates for energy.
  
  ·         Aim to consume 64oz of water per day. Always stay hydrated. Athletes need to consume 24oz of water per hour while training.
  
  ·         Aim for 1500 to 5000 calories per day, depending on your height, weight, BMI and what distance you’re training for.
  
  ·         On average a 125 pound female will need to take in 230 calories per hour during training and racing.   A 160 pound male would need to take in 250-300 calories per hour.
  
  ·         Training and racing calories need to be easily digestible and for the most part work better in liquid or gel form. A few options to try are:
  
    Hammer;
  
   Heed, Recoverite, Sustained Energy, Hammer Gel, Endurrolytes Powder, Hammer   Bars, Perpetuem, Insurance Caps and Race Caps Supreme;
  
               First Endurance;
  
  EFS liquid Shot, First Endurance EFT Electrolyte Drink, Ultragen;
  
               Accelerated, Cytomax Power Bar, Gatorade, Infinit, FLUID, Xood
  
  Supplements: Salt Stick, Endurolytes, sports legs, extreme endurance