Shoot Out
Perspective from Scott Blanchard

I have the rewarding opportunity of knowing most athletes in Tucson. Some of them I have met while training and racing while others I have become very good friends with through coaching. I've owned and operated Pyramid Coaching for 11 years in Tucson now and I have trained over 1000 people from basic beginners to well-established pros. One of my current clients, Charlie Scruggs, was one of the first people to ever attend the shoot out. He has been the subject of several articles and local news programs including one that should be released in July of 2007. Look for it. It will provide the history of the ride far more in depth than I ever could.

That being said I do know what Charlie has told me. The Shoot Out seems to have started in the late 60's to the early 70's. There were 3-4 guys who began riding together here in town and Charlie was one of those guys. Now a young 68 years old he is still training daily and jamming up Lemmon once a week. He is one fast pup too clocking a 33 min run to Molino Basin last week. Surprised me! We were rolling along around 11-12 mph most of the climb. I can only hope to achieve a % of that when I hit the golden years.

The first Shoot Out route was to start in town by the U of A and race out Reddington Rd until it ended, flip it and jam back down. Short and sweet. In those days everything started downtown very much like it still does. In fact there was a Mt Lemmon race series in the early 70's that started as a RR hammering down Speedway and making its way to Lemmon up to mile 12. How's that for a RR!!! I bet it was not a pack finish! I digress. Someone then had the idea to take it out Mission. In the beginning it went to the bridge and back. Slowly over time it advanced until it became the loop as you know it now.

Thousands of riders have raced the Shoot Out over the years. Can you imagine how many guys and gals have got up on the rivet, dug in, and held on? How many people's goals have been placed and met on and surrounding the Shoot Out? Get to MP 17. Get to 15. Get to the bridge. Get all the way!! The fact that we have access to such an amazing experience here in town should not be over looked. I've been all over the US and I've yet to see a ride that lives up to the Shoot Out. There really is no comparison. It's easy to take for granted as it seems as though it's always been there and always will be. Very cool.

Cycling is an amazing sport. It really is the great equalizer! Rich, poor, young, old, guy, girl, education, intelligence, experience, social class, whatever. When we are on the bike hammering our brains out we're all the same. Guys would trade vast amounts of money to be better. Give up personal time with friends and family. Let work suffer. On and on. We are addicts and it's a damn lot of fun! When it comes right down to it though you can't buy fitness, you can't steal it, you can't think it or learn it, you can't force it. You can't manipulate someone for it, you can't sue someone for it. You have to work for it. Everyone has to work for it and there really is no shortcut. The thing I'm trying to say I guess is that it's cool to go out to the Shoot Out and see how things in life operate when there based on merit. You can't fake fitness.

Just run through these key words and grab some memories: Ralph, Sheriff, Wolf, crash, Norm, cross-wind, bridge, gutter, Mission, Jimmy, "It's ride time", Gord, aero bars, Socks, that breathing guy?, Rob, cattle guard, tore up old dogs, sand, tandem, Gunn, trolley tracks, white pick-up, cub, sprint hill, pain. You can just go on and on. From Lance to the 'bent gut in the full length completely white (sort of) skin suit and everyone in-between. It takes all kinds and that's what makes it fun!

The personalities, the struggles, the climbers, the sprinters, the kooks, the amazing bikes, the living, breathing, self-contained Shoot Out. If only we could harness that level of commitment at elsewhere! Ha. If only we could capture the energy dispersed over the years! Thanks for the memories Shoot Out and I know you'll provide many, many more.

PS-It's a race!!!! Ha! (send your flaming emails to the address below)  :)

Scott Blanchard
Pyramid Coaching Intl., LLC
www.pyramidcoaching.com
scott@pyramidcoaching.com
520-629-0777 office
520-603-4874 cell