Cyclist de la Torre: ‘It’s about being  better than yourself’ in taking on the 102-mile El Tour

Derek de la Torre loves a challenge. Perhaps, more importantly, he loves a challenge when it’s within himself.

He competes with himself all the time: be better, be better, be better.

How does it feel about it?

“It sucks,” he said, laughing. “It’s great. It’s about being  better than yourself, yesterday. I’m in better shape than most of the guys I work with.”

So, he’s taking on El Tour de Tucson, the 102-mile event for the first time, no less. He’s not going to ease into it but instead attack it. He knows about that given he’s a triathlete.

It’s what he knows and what he does.

“I was thinking about it and thinking about it – and as I went on I did more and more mileage,” he said of his decision to sign up for El Tour.

First it was 12 miles and thought that “was easy.”

Then he did 25 miles and, thought, “um, OK, that was easy.”

Then 50 miles, then 60-plus and then friends said, “why not do the Tour.”

Yes, El Tour.

To relieve stress – he’s a battalion chief at the Pasqua Yaqui Tribal Fire Dept and has no hobbies (he said) – he decided to do it. In fact, just recently, he got on his bike and did 102 miles and it took 6 ½ hours, too long for his taste.

He could easily do the 62 with no issues, “but why do the 62 when you can do 102?”

“I know I can finish it, but firefighters are just competitive by nature, and if we see a cop ahead of us, (we think) we’re not finishing behind those guys,” he said, smiling.

He’s certain he can do better than 6 ½ hours.

He turned to his Garmin watch and said it’s the “worst thing I could have gotten” jokingly of course because knowing his time always pushes him to do better.

Being a chief at the station, he’s constantly looking at data.

“Now it’s starting to be a thing to me – that I have to go on a ride,” he said. “If I have to think about something hard at work, I’ll just go on a ride and think about it. It helps.”

So, he’s ready. He purchased all the El Tour garb he needed/wanted and will be ready on Saturday morning.

Saying, “anything in life doing, is worth over doing.”

Bring on the challenge!