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The Sunday Triathalon

In preparation for a mid September Grand Canyon trip, this past Sunday I completed the unofficial, unsanctioned CogDogBlog triathalon, which will not be covered on NBC or commented on by Bob Costas.

The event included:

1. A two mile mountain bike ride to Camelback Mountain


2. A grueling ascent and descent of Camelback on the Cholla Trail (1200 feet gain in 1.5 miles).


3. Bike ride back home for 5 hours of back breaking yard work.

The yard work is not just lazily pushing around a lawnmower knocking over docile green grass-- let me tell you a bit about the so-called "soil" in Phoenix. Below surface is invariably a layer of near cement hard layer of caliche, the calcium carbonate hardening created by our water and soil chemistry. And if you think that plants in the desert are slow growing weak species, I need to tell you about the 9 foot high cactus with 12 stalks that started out 4 years ago as a stubby 10 inch single stub. We were pulling out a great deal of plants and cacti that had become a jungle in a few short years.

Oh, and did I mention the 95 degree heat?

I think I medaled since there were no other competitors.