The Beginning

It was May 2005 and I was FAT and very unhealthy, 2 packs a day unhealthy. I was looking through the weekly clipper and I saw an add. Bicycle for $499 at DNA. I figure 500 bucks what a deal, besides my brother-in-law and I had been talking about getting into cycling. I went to DNA and met this punk in a T-Shirt and low rise converse with some shredded shorts on. This was Don (The owner). I showed him the add and said this is what I want nothing more and nothing less. Now, most bike shops would try and up sale you into the latest and greatest, not Don, he pulled the bike down and said this is the one. I started asking some questions, once again most bike shops would try and sale you everything under the sun, Don said "Look man, all you need right now is some shorts so your ass doesn't hurt". I proceeded to spend about 2-3 hours talkin shop with Don. He told me what to eat while riding, what to eat after riding, he fitted me to my new Allez, told me to get shoes and pedals after I decide if I like cycling or not. That day was the day my life changed, and I sorta owe it to him (Don).

I took the bike home and the next morning I went for a ride around my neighborhood, I was free. I could go as fast as I wanted , I could smell the desert, I could see the beautiful sunrise, I could feel the wind on my face, I was riding a freakin bicycle, I felt like a kid again, I rode and rode, maybe about 4 miles it was awesome. When I got home I pushed my Allez into the house and laid on the couch to ride out the heart attack I was having.

My brother-in-law came over to check out the new rig, he was so impressed as was I, we were both like, "Man, that is the sweetest bike ever, carbon forks, and seat post". He took it for a spin and that was all it took. He had his own Allez several weeks later from DNA. We took our first ride together, we had our cycling computers and minimal gear, but we rode-10 miles, I was amazed that we rode 10 miles and 14mph. It felt great. Cycling became my new addiction.

Caution, Bicycling may cause heart problems.

I had been riding now for several months. I had lost 20 pounds, and was down to like 2 or 3 cigs a day.

Jason (Brother-in-Law) and I signed up for this race called the Tour De Tucson. It was a ride around the perimeter of Tucson, 109 miles. When you read about it you find out that you can get different medals for different times. If you finish with in this time you get Gold, this time is Silver, and this time is Bronze. There is an elite category above all these it's called PLATINUM you have to ride 109 miles in 5hrs or less.

Jason and I were training one summer day in August, it was 116. We were riding around the McDowell Mountains, I felt a flutter in my heart, I remember thinking thats weird...it went away and I did not think about it too much more. A couple days after that ride I was still feeling the flutter, I got worried went to the hospital. It was a common pvc. A lot of people suffered from them. I went to a cardiologist to help monitor the situation. He suggested that we do a stress test, he found what he thought was a clogged artery. Crap, he suggested we do an angiography. They run a catheder up through your leg all the way to your heart. Doc said no riding, this was September, 2 months before the Tour De Tucson I ended up missing an entire month of riding.

I did not have a blocked artery, it's whats known as a myocardial bridge. Basically, one of my arteries dips into the heart muscle early, when the heart beats it cuts off blood. I need to be careful about getting my heart rate too high, which is difficult when riding a bike the way we do.

Jason and I came up with a term: Honking...its a Heart Bonk. This is what happens to me when I get my heart rate too high, I cut the blood flow and black out. I have done this 3 times in my life, two of the times I did not know what happened, the 3rd was after my angio, so I knew what caused it. While in the hospital, My lovely wife said that I could upgrade my bike, Yeah, nothing like a little heart scare to get what I want.

Upgrade bike,Specialized Tarmac...check. This was a significant upgrade from the Allez as Don informed me afterwards, He said the Allez is the Yugo and I just bought a Lexus. The scary thing is that they make Ferrari's and Lambo's as well. Out of my price range though.

El Tour De Tucson | 2005

So it started out as Platinum here we come. Jason and I were prepared, we had trained our butts off. I completely quit smoking (it's been almost 2 years now). We had done some decent rides. 63 I believe was our farthest. We can do anything for another 46 miles. Yeah right.

We get to Tucson on Friday night. Jason, Steve(College buddy of Jason's), Dan. Not having ever done these events before I had know idea how to prepare, I think we ate some rice and bean burritos from ponchos taco shop around lunch time then gorged ourselves on some pasta from the macaroni grill around 9:00pm. I figured carb loadin' is all the rage.

We got the starting line around 5:00am, saw maybe a quarter of the amount of people and was like"wholly shizzle" what have I gotten myself into. It was all over from there, "I am going to crash", "I'm under trained", "I'm too fat", "I think I'm going to throw up", "I have to go to the bathroom". After 3 more trips to the john, it was race time.

Jason and Rogers(Steve) said no worries brother, just stick with us and we got platinum wrapped up. I thought, sweet...we started at 7:00am...I lost Jason and Rogers about 7:01am. I saw them again after the first river crossing about 7 miles in, then they were gone again.

Those two rocked the 2005 tour.











Jason/Steve: 5:24:38
Dan: 7:05:49

PLATINUM: Under 5:00

I suffered/developed pnuemonia during the ride, and a flatted. Oh well, I love cycling and there is always next year.

Come on everyone's doing it!

A new friendship had been brewing with my neighbor Max, before the race I would say to him " Man you need a bike, it's great, you exercise, get healthy, clear your mind, feel the wind there's nothing like it". He wasn't biting, He would say things like "I just sold my mountain bike, I've been there done that". I let it lay for awhile.

It's a day or so after the race, I see Max working in his yard and I yell across the street, "Dude, racing a road bike is the coolest thing I think I have ever done", 1 week later DNA had a new customer.

Jason and I took Max out for a few rides, we originally called him the rabbit, he would ride and his heart rate would be around 200-210 this is not a joke, the guy would never give up or give in, Jason and I had been riding for awhile and we were going to hammer this newbie, and we did, but he hung in there and kept coming back for more. We signed up for the next PBAA event which was the Tour De Phoenix in April 06. The elusive Platinum was ours for the taking. Jason and I figured we had it in the bag, Max would have some trouble because he had only been training for 3 months, theres not really anyway he could do it.

Tour De Phoenix | 2006

Jason thought it would be smart to go on a ski trip in February, he also thought it would be cool to see if he could land a triple lindy on skiis like he used to back in the day, neither one was a good idea. He injured his shoulder and pulled out of the Tour De Phoenix.

Max and I were left, Thanks to Jason we got some killer pics and good video. He rode with my dad on the Harley, got to see the whole race from a different perspective.














This was a good redemption race for me. I finished the 74 miles pretty well;

Dan: 3:27:34
Max (only trained for 3 months) 3:23:06....Yup, he beat me

PLATINUM: 3:15

Thats all right we got the Tour De Tucson coming in November, we will get Platinum there.

Training.......

Jason, Max and I began training hard after the Tour De Phoenix, I mean we all wanted PLATINUM, to achieve that you have got to train hard. We had become seasoned veterans of the PBAA(Perimeter Bicylcing) events and we knew how hard it was going to be at this years (2006) Tour De Tucson.

The only thing that is constant is change, and in the time span from the Tour De Phoenix in April to the Tour De Tucson in November, things changed. Max took on a new job, and Jason had some things to deal with.

Max started traveling in June or July and could not train the way he wanted to, he ended up pulling out of the 2006 Tour de Tucson. That left me and Jason.

Jason and I trained quite a bit for this upcoming race, we popped a couple of 85 mile rides around the McDowell Mountains, we were training hard. The last few months leading up to the race were tough for Jason, but he trained when he could, and never gave up.

El Tour De Tucson | 2006

I started developing my rain man habits for this race, I need to stay at the Double Tree Hotel, I eat Maccaroni Grill (Salmon and Pasta) for lunch, and some light pasta for dinner. This is my ritual...If you would like to join me thats great, try to deter me...not so great. I'm glad my friends and family understand me.

Race Day, Platinum Day...Jason and I got to the starting line at 4:30 am. We needed to line up right behind the platinum riders in the gold section. Check, start race go like hell, check. Jason develops cramps after second wash...not on the list.

I left Jason at the second wash (He told me to)! Ride like hell...check. Mile 85, pace is perfect for platinum....mile 90 BONK! That was not on the list...I limped into the finish. I saw my wife, I asked how far back is Jason, he was in the chute patting me on the back, 10 seconds seperated us. 10 freakin seconds. WOW.

Dan: 5:26:25
Jason: 5:26:35
WOW!

PLATINUM: Under 5:00:00

Oh well, there's the Tour De Phoenix(2007)...we definately can get platinum!

Just a little scope!

So began the Training, Max quit the traveling job and became local again so we started training again, Jason's schedule and time to ride had changed so we did not get to ride to much together after the 2006 Tour De Tucson.

It was February and I thought it would be a good idea to try and recapture my youth and purchase a skateboard, Just like Jason's skiing idea this was not a good one. I flared up an old knee injury.

I went to my ortho and he said, "Let's go in with a scope see if I can clean up anything." I agreed, it's a scope, re-cover in 3 weeks back on the bike, get ready for the 2007 Tour De Phoenix. Once inside the knee, my ortho decided to complete a procedure called Microfracture. The surgery went well, although the doctor said I have an 85 year old knee. The worst he had ever seen. The recovery...not so good. I developed a blood clot in my knee/calf (Worst Pain Ever Felt..Could have killed myself it hurt so bad.) Checked into the hospital for 4 days, had to do blood thinners and shots in the stomach. Not fun! I could not walk for a month. Doc wanted me on blood thinners for 6 months, NO RIDING..it lasted 3. Max decided to get a hernia, and Jason continued dealing with life...We all missed the Tour De Phoenix (2007) NO PLATINUM.

Surgeries....check! Now start Training!

It was now May 2007. I was slowly re-covering, Max was re-covering, and Jason was killing it as a Cat 5 USA cyclist. He was doing TT's and he was rockin. I believe he finished 2nd once and 3rd twice.

Max and I continued to train....

So, Jason calls and says "Dude, you need to do a TT with me, get some arrow bars and lets do this." I was not ready for this, Cat 5 USA Cyclist..not me! I was just getting back on the bike it had only been like 4 months. I gave Jason every excuse in the book. He never faltered, I bought my license in August and did my first TT on August 5, 2007. I got 10th out of 14. Jason got 3rd or 2nd...It was good for me to get out there and do it.

Max calls me one day and says what you think about the 4C's on October 13th 2007. The 4C's is another PBAA cycling event in Douglas, AZ. The 4C's stand for the Cochise County Cycling Classic. It's a 92 mile event and yes, you can get PLATINUM. All you need is to complete the 92 mile event under 4:15:00. I say yeah lets do it and we were registered. We so got platinum!

Jason was out due to scheduling conflicts.

So we train: Max received the nick name "MAXFACTOR" somewhere in our training for the 2007 Tour De Phoenix-Jason and I coined the name because anytime Max is on your ride your going to hammer. He knows no limits he has literally puked on more than one occasion. He will throw your whole ride into a smack down, which we all love and hate sorta like wind and hills. Lets just say the MaxFactor was in full effect from August to October (Race Day). We were ready, we completed a 65 mile ride at a speed of 20.5 and still felt good after words. We were going to kill the cochise, definitely platinum, we might even win the dang thing go 1 and 2!

The 4C's | 2007

Oh Boy, were do I start. First it's a 4 hr drive to Douglas. Max and I stopped in Tucson(rain man) for my Maccaroni Grill Lunch. It's a good thing Max likes the place as well. We finished our lunch and continued on to Douglas.

We decided to book a room at the official hotel of the 4C's The Gadsden. This hotel was built in 1923 and believe me, not much had changed since then. Some of the "charm":
The story goes that Pancho Villa rode his horse into this hotel. He rode right up the steps I am standing on.



















He now haunts the place......scary! The elevator in this place needed an operator to ride up and down.

The race....freakin brutal. It starts with a 27 mile climb, that includes Mule Pass at the end of the climb: 8.7% gradient.After the climb, you are out in the sticks, I mean complete nothingness...alone, no packs, no riders, just you and the 25mph in your face the whole time winds. It is like a swirling tornado for the entire 92 miles. You think "it will be at my back eventually"....NOT.
I voted that the absolute worst 20 miles on a bicycle was the last 2o of the Tour De Tucson-Silverbell rd. Well, the I-191 has completely trumped that. This is the last 20 of the 4c's, and it is by far the hardest 20 I have ever done on a bike.

Max and I finished.....

Dan: 4:46:28
Max: 4:27:20

PLATINUM: 4:15:00

Tour De Tucson | 2007

It has been a month since the 4c's. Jason, Max and I have been training hard. We all are "On top of the Pedal". Its been a good training season.

Jason got to Tucson Thursday night for business,My Wife, Max and I drove up Friday. Of course we had lunch at the Macaroni Grill (rain man). Jason did not join us, he can mix up anything before race day, it does not bother him in the least.

Although we trained separate, we met at 4:10am on race day. We drove the start line. We got there at 4:30am (rain man). Lined up behind the platinum, well we tried, there was about 100 people ahead of us who did not belong there, but oh well what can you do.

7:00am the race begins, The 3 of us together going for platinum. The first 7 miles is like being shot out of a cannon. At 7 miles there is the first river crossing. You literally have to get off your bike and carry it across the wash.

This was our first separation, I blasted out of the wash and got with a super fast pack. Jason made it through got in his own pack, and Max had to stop and get the dirt out of his cleats. The pack I was in was too fast, I got spit out the back. I was flying solo, I knew a pack would be coming, I looked over my shoulder and nothing, looked again and I see the pack.

As the pack approaches I see Jason on the front, I look again and I see Max on the front, these two were rotating pulls on the front of this huge pack and they were motoring. I joined them, This was around mile15 or so, we were all together again.

Around mile 35 or so there is a massive downhill known as freeman, we were cruising about 25 mph down this hill, we needed to be faster. I broke out of the pack and dropped the hammer, Max came with me, and Jason was soon on our wheels. The 3 of us were pulling a pack of about a 100-150 at 36 mph. Don (DNA) would have been proud. Team DNA was rockin the tour...out front killin it.

We came to the 2nd crossing, Max had a good lead out and soon disappeared. Jason and I made it through the crossing and continued together until about mile 64.

We were all on our own now to battle, to finish what we started 3 years ago, and battle we did.

Max: 4:53:28
Dan: 4:58:15
Jason: 5:01:40

PLATINUM: 5:00:00

We did it! We won the war.




























Thanks to my wife for her 100% support for the last 3 years. I could not have done it without her.

That $499.00 ad changed my life forever.

I Quit Smoking
I Lost 40 pounds
I rode over 6,345 miles
I got PLATINUM!