Training for the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic!

Ok, training for the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic is officially underway. If it was not for the commitment to the Lance Armstrong Team and their efforts to aid the fight against cancer, I can flat guarantee you there would be no training schedule!

It’s a busy, busy spring, lots of business travel and getting ready for the summer season here at Toh-Atin Gallery. But when I think about not doing this race, I am immediately brought back to solid ground when I hear the stories of all the cancer survivors and patients. They don’t have the opportunity to back off and quit fighting! If I can ride a simple bike race and help even a few people keep up the fight, I’m not about to quit.

My cousin David has been fighting cancer for over a decade. Today he goes into surgery to have his entire femur replaced by a titanium rod. It is a long an difficult surgery and he would certainly appreciate all of your good thoughts and prayers for he and his family.

So, I finally got the bike out of the basement where it has been since the last Iron Horse. I loaded it into the car along with Kris’s bike (she been actually running and doing spin classes for a couple of months) and headed to meet her in Santa Fe where I was going for the Indian Arts and Crafts Association’s annual meeting and then to the Oasis Gift Show in Albuquerque at the end of the week.

Wednesday afternoon was day one. We drank a Monavie RVL and headed out on what turned out to be about a 20 mile ride. There is a secret for those of you who don’t work out regularly. The first day is not too bad. You get a little tired, but you still feel pretty good. Don’t let that keep you from taking Advil before you go to bed and shooting a couple extra shots of Monavie......the next morning is tough! The really hard part is being around someone who says, “Doesn’t that feel great getting some exercise?” You have to say, “Sure, I feel wonderful,” and then try to walk down the stairs without looking like you put on twenty years that night!

Thursday we went to Albuquerque to set up the Oasis show booth which I share with a good friend from Alaska, Bill Lovette. I offered to rent him a bike if he wanted to go on a ride with us and he declined. He’s a really smart guy. Kris and I went to the Albuquerque Bike Trail which starts at the Zoo and goes north and south along the Rio Grande. If you are a bike rider or walker or jogger, this path is worth the visit. We only went the 18 mile north route, but it goes through beautiful country, alongside horse farms and wonderful adobe ranches. You pass fishing holes and parks and even the back side of the Zoo. It is really worth doing. Not only is it peaceful and quiet with no cars, but it makes you forget you are actually exercising!

The only problem I had with the trail was the fact that the wind blew against us both ways. Didn’t seem to bother Kris.

Friday and Saturday were days off for the show, but Sunday we had a unique opportunity! One of the cars we had was in Albuquerque, so we got up early and rode our bikes to the Santa Fe Train Station where we caught the Railrunner, a commuter train that goes between Belen and Albuquerque. It is a great ride in comfort. You travel through parts of the Rio Grande Valley that cross the inside of the Santa Anna, San Felipe and Kewa (Santo Domingo) reservations. The countryside is beautiful and I highly recommend the ride. We got to the Albuquerque station, which sits where the old Alvarado Hotel was on Central Avenue, and rode our bikes up to the car which was at Bill’s hotel about 5 miles away.

Cold day, so we called it a day and headed to Santa Fe. Not as nice a ride in a car, but on the way we stopped at another “must visit” place, The Range Cafe in Bernallilo. Trust me on this, it’s a good one.

Today it’s back to Durango and spin classes and weight training for the next few days. (There was snow there this weekend!)

The race is about 7 weeks out and, after the initial training shock, I am feeling good about it. It would be nice to beat the train to Silverton this year!

Remember, it doesn’t take a lot of money to make a difference in the fight against cancer. This year, I’m asking those that would like to help for $10.00. That’s all, just ten bucks. It’s less than a round trip ticket on the Roadrunner from Santa Fe to Albuquerque! Less than the price of two and a half gallons of gas! So, walk a little extra or maybe ride a bike, but the people who depend on the Lance Armstrong Foundation need your help! Thank you!

To Donate: http://ride.livestrong.org/teamls2011/jacksonclark
Or mail your check Made out to Livestrong Foundation, % Jackson Clark
P.O. Box 2168, Durango, Colorado 81302