Thursday, October 21, 2010

Days 39 and 40

Our two last days - one long, one short - destination Atlantic Ocean somewhere around Charleston, SC.

We rode 112 miles at an average of 19 mph on day 39 - and this seemed like a low to moderate pace to me. What the hell happened to my sense of speed and distance? Riding with Joseph and Jeff over the past 40 days has taught me that I can do 100+ miles at around 20 mph and still live to fight the next day - its a pretty amazing shift in the way I see my riding. We ended in Summerville at a beautiful place called the Middleton Inn, where we had probably our best group dinner, though we missed Joseph who "snuck out" to visit Chiyo in Charleston. As always lately, we missed Dana (who just found out that she may have broken her right hand as well as her left elbow) and Britt.

Once we knew we had survived Day 39, our last riding day beckoned. Actually, it was a great day, but not really a riding day. I didn't bother wearing my heart monitor and never raised a sweat as we cruised 32 miles through historic Charleston enroute to the Wild Dunes resort and the ocean. Friends, family and champagne greeted us (I had asked the Trek team to line up some tourists to cheer for me when we arrived but they couldn't make it happen!). I missed having Sara here, but get to see her in Dallas tomorrow for a weekend at the Four Seasons (Andy has two games there this weekend), so I can't complain too much.

We then dipped our wheels in the Atlantic and the trek/adventure/ordeal was over! Everyone had cause to celebrate. The four members of Team EFI (myself, Bill, Joseph and Jeff) had managed to dodge sickness, accident and exhaustion to ride every pedal stroke of our 3270 miles. Bill turns 65 tomorrow and is incredibly inspirational to the rest of us younger lads. William managed to ride almost all of those miles, despite a huge pile up, bloody face and banged up body. He had trained less than the rest of us, but no one persevered like he did. Brian and Diana were sidelined at times with all of those things that Team EFI missed - sickness, saddle sores, asthma, sore knees and sheer exhaustion - yet they struggled through it all - together all the way - and got here in style.

So, it's done, and there are a few special things to be thankful for:
- Sara not vetoing my trip right at the start (you really could have you know), and not killing me as I made her live through all of those 100 mile training rides. Thanks - I love you.
- Jeff and Joseph, who pulled me when I needed pulling, and who taught me how to ride faster than I thought I could for longer than I thought I could. Thanks - I couldn't have asked for two better, stronger riding partners and friends. This ride wouldn't have been remotely as much fun without the pair of you.
- Dave, Karl, Marquette and Tara - our Trek guide crew - who did their jobs incredibly well every step of the way. More importantly, they made this trip fun, every step of the way. Dave with his relaxed style and bad jokes. Marquette hitting the unruly "kids" and joining in as one of us. Tara with that twisted sense of humor that always left you guessing. Karl, with that infectious enthusiasm that makes him an absolute joy to be around. You guys made this ride what it was - thanks.
- Britt and Dana, who I came to know while training for the ride, but only came to fully appreciate during the ride. Your presence was a big part of this ride for all of us, and I hope this is the start of many (shorter) rides together in the hills of Marin.
- All of my friends for their words of encouragement, before and during the ride. Yes, they always started the sentence with "you are nuts...", but I felt the love!
- Scott and Studio Velo, for talking me into that bike. I crossed the country with 1 flat tire and 1 chain replacement! Independent and tubeless tires forever! Thanks guys - things could not have gone more smoothly.

And thanks legs - I calculate 3270 miles, about 200 hours of cycling and somewhere around 1 million pedal strokes - you can take a break now!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Day 38

Spartanburg to Columbia, South Carolina and our third last ride! A routine 104 miles by the time we were finished, almost all on beautiful roads with few cars to worry about. The two always reliable engines, Jeff and Joseph, were actually feeling the effects of all of those miles of pulling the rest of us, so I was actually feeling the strongest throughout the day - and had to keep the speed down to match the needs of the group.

When did 100+ miles become so routine? Even as we finished the ride, I felt very much ready to keep going (though ready is definitely not the same as willing). The eastern part of South Carolina is nice, but not too exciting - I think it's natures way of making us feel better about all of this riding coming to an end.

Tomorrow we ride to Summerville and a night at the Inn at Middleton, which is supposed to be great. It's another 109 miles, but pretty relaxed in terms of climbing. More importantly, it's our last real ride of the trek! The following day is a very satisfying 32 mile victory ride into Charleston.

141 miles to the Atlantic!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Day 37

Asheville NC to Spartanburg, South Carolina. We're in our last state!

Just to prove we're pretty soft in the head, we decided to ADD a climb up the mountains from Asheville today, so that we could better experience the Blue Ridge Parkway. Bill and Gary (the Asheville Town Manager, a friend of Gary and a very strong racer in his own right) led us up the mountain - a beautiful climb and an even better descent, all while surrounded by the changing trees. After the descent we rejoined the scheduled ride, which essentially meant that we had to climb right back up to the elevation we had just left. As I said, a bit soft in the head.

Bill stayed back to take a bunch of photos we will now steal from his blog, and Jeff, Joseph and I pushed up the hill together as fast as our legs would take us. After the climb, we had a fantastic descent off of the eastern continental divide - rushing alongside the river with mountains on either side. The descent took us past Chimney Rock, and the glimpse I got looked beautiful, but with J&J all you generally get is a glimpse.

After lunch at a little Deli, we headed back out. I had a 2:30 conference call waiting for me at the hotel 30 miles away, so we revved up the engines and were there in 90 minutes, including a stop at the state line for the photo op. I now need to buy my two wing men a drink as they got me hear in lots of time, safe and sound.

The countdown continues, with only 241 miles to the Atlantic. 100 tomorrow, so the math will be easy.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Day 36

Sevierville to Asheville, North Carolina - 90 miles and our second last state!

An absolutely beautiful ride across the Smoky Mountains and alongside the French Broad River. For the first time on the trip, Jeff, Joseph and I were actually the first ones to leave the hotel, along with Karl and Bill. It was freezing cold and very foggy, but we persevered and it soon warmed up as the sun rose and broke through. Once we could see where we were, it was beautiful, and we rode at a pretty sedate pace for the 50 some miles before lunch. Post lunch, it was time to climb. For the first time, I forgot about the rule of energy conservation and just rode the climbs the way I would ride Mt. Tam - and Jeff and I left the group behind pretty quickly. We knew it was only a question of time until Joseph caught us on the more level road alongside the French Broad River, as he had a Boys and Girls Club reception waiting for him (including his son) in the hotel parking lot. Once we were reunited we headed into Asheville as fast as our legs and the need to absorb the great scenery would allow.

Asheville is great, and we had a very nice dinner with Bill and his wife Susan, who have a second home here. Wish this was a rest day as I'd love to spend a bit more time here. We're now down to three serious ride days left (80, 100 and 109 miles) before our short 32 mile ride into Charleston and the Atlantic Ocean.

We might actually make it!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Day 35

108 miles from Crossville to Sevierville, Tennessee.

After a grueling ride yesterday, we all agreed to take it easy today and pretty much behaved ourselves (with the exception of the expected Joseph bursts of "catch me if you can" acceleration). This felt like a very comfortable ride, and allowed me to really enjoy some of the backroads of Tennessee. We got some incredible views of the Smoky Mountains (they really do look smoky from a distance) along the way. They look amazing from a distance and, up closer, imagine a series of slightly higher Mt. Tams.

Believe it or not, I may actually have been the freshest of the group at the end of the ride. Jeff and Bill both bonked a bit toward the end, Jeff probably more as a result of yesterday's effort than anything else. Joseph rode like Joseph, and he probably just let me lead him in to let me feel good, but I'll take it.

Sevierville is something else - like a smaller Branson, but primarily focused on Dolly Parton and not nearly as nice. We are staying at the Fairfield Inn and narrowly avoided eating dinner at the Olive Garden, so you can imagine my joy. As I write this, Sara and Syd are having dinner at Piccos - my favorite restaurant. Have a Tuna Tartare on me girls!

Asheville, North Carolina tomorrow - I'm psyched! It should be a beautiful 80 mile ride with lots of climbing, and Asheville itself sounds great. Bill has a second home there, and we get to eat at a great restaurant with he and his wife Susan.

407 miles to the Atlantic!!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Day 34

Ouch!

Today was 125 miles from Nashville to Crossville, Tennessee. From one world to another. We climbed 7200 feet, I used 8500 calories - and it was a very long day in the saddle. We actually averaged around 19 mph, mainly because at any given time one of us was pushing too hard for my taste. After Joseph got an early flat, he and I (him leading the way of course) raced to catch up with the rest of the group. We passed them, picked up Jeff along the way and sped off to lunch #1. After lunch, Karl joined us - which meant I was now in the company of three guys, each of whom was capable of making my life miserable. Joseph and Karl sped off and I stayed back with Jeff, who was feeling a post- rest day energy let down. For once, I actually led Jeff as we maintained a strong pace, finally catching up with our two companions.

From there, I just managed to hang on as the other three took turns abusing the rest of the group. By the end of the ride I was definitely in survival mode. I even got my first flat of the trip - a complete tire blowout  that required a 20 minute wait for a new wheel from the van. Jeff and Joseph just stood there laughing. I had gone to great pains not to mention that I was the only one who hadn't had a flat, so as not to jinx it - but earlier in the morning they had both talked about it and the jinx was in anyway.

Have to go - Andy's game is on. Another long ride tomorrow - can't wait!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Day 33

A rest day and a chance to reflect (not something I tend to do much of). There are just four of us left in the EFI (every f**king inch) club - Jeff, Joseph, Bill and myself. BTW, Bill is 64 and a very strong rider about to complete a trip across the country - so there is lots of time for the rest of us  to get going! So far (let's not jinx it) we've avoided sickness, accidents and sheer exhaustion to stay on our bikes. While I'm not sure that the low number of EFI members is the best ad for this trip, it does demonstrate how hard it can be (and therefore how satisfying it can be).

William is a member of his very own club - the "dogged determination" club. He came into this trip with the least amount of training and (this may be doing him a disservice) as the oldest member of the group. He got sick, he was exhausted at times, and he had a horrible bang up in the same accident that caused Dana's fractured elbow. Through it all he just persevered. He was forced to get off his bike a couple of times, but he remains my vote for the toughest member of our group.

The two J's - Jeff and Joseph - have been the strongest riders throughout. For me, they have made this entire ride MUCH faster and MUCH tougher than it would have been without them here pushing me almost every pedal stroke. Between this and their friendship, they have also made it MUCH more fun than it would have been without them. Thanks guys!

And then there are our four guides. Each with their distinct personality, each making this a great experience in their own unique way. This group makes or breaks a ride like this and, trust me, they've made it great - so far!

OK - enough reflection for now. Jeff and I just toured downtown Nashville and had lunch at the "famous" Tootsies, complete with live entertainment. Dinner this evening at a local establishment of some kind, then it's back on the road for 126 miles of climbing enjoyment tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Day 32

A 94 mile ride from Dover into Nashville and our rest day at the Hermitage Hotel. An absolutely beautiful ride along smooth, car-less roads, through arches created by trees that were turning color as we rode by.

Thunderstorms were forecast again, and we left early to eat breakfast down the road at the golden arches. A large coffee, large OJ, Egg McMuffin, Pancakes and 3 hash browns later I was ready to go. We left in the fog, probably not the safest idea, but seemed like the right approach at the time. For some reason, I left everyone behind (must of been the 3 hash browns) for the first several miles, but then Jeff and later Joseph inevitably caught up. Jeff and I were riding fairly fast, and Joseph really had to push hard to catch up. Just as he did, Jeff flatted twice - slowing us down enough that Bill and Dave passed us. This of course meant another hard push so that we could catch them before lunch!

We didn't have much hard riding to do post lunch as we caught Bill and Dave, then rode into Nashville with them. After such a beautiful ride through the Tennessee countryside, it was strange to turn a corner and see the Nashville skyline. I then realized that this is the first city skyline I've seen since leaving SF (unless you count that Frank Lloyd Wright high-rise in Bartlesville). Dinner tonight is at our hotel restaurant, rated as one of the best in town, and I'm looking forward to a great meal. Sara - I finally found a set of scales in my room and it's confirmed - my weight hasn't moved a pound since I started. This is clear testimony to the amount and caloric density of food I have managed to shove into my mouth for the past 32 days!

After a rest day in Nashville tomorrow, we have only 6 real days of riding to go! It's pretty hard to believe, especially when I see a map of the US and see exactly where Nashville is. That said, there is still several long, 100+ mile days and much climbing to be done.

Day 31

A relatively short 78 mile ride from Union City to Dover, Tennessee. We had a very depressing start to the day as we had to wave goodbye to Dana and Britt as we left the hotel. They'll fly home from Nashville and Dana will have surgery on her elbow sometime in the next few days. We'll miss them a lot!

The trees are starting to turn here and the ride was really beautiful much of the way. I rode with the two J's most of the way, but at a fairly sane pace until the last few miles when Joseph decided to redline it and Jeff and I decided to stick with him. We crossed the Tennessee River, which was more of a lake at the point of the bridge we crossed, and entered the Land Between the Lakes National Park. Thundershowers were forecast, but they held off until we were all in the hotel.

We stayed in Dover at this rustic motel, and ordered pizza and spaghetti to eat on the deck of the cabin I was staying in. I even managed to watch Glee, which means I can have a conversation with Sara and Sydney.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Day 30

Poplar Bluff, Missouri to Union City, Tennessee. Just another 101 mile ride, but the worst day of the trip, as William and Dana crashed and Dana fractured her elbow. William was all cut up and a concussion was suspected, but he checked out OK and should be riding again tomorrow - though he's going to be very sore. Sadly, Dana has to stop, and she and Britt will be heading home to the bay area. We're all very depressed, as Dana and Britt were the heart and soul of the group. Dana with her easy smile and dogged determination and Britt, who just took absolutely everything in stride. While Britt's rendition of King of the Road will definitely not be missed, he and Dana most definitely will be.

And then there were four. This leaves just myself, Jeff, Joseph and Bill as the only ones who have managed to stay on their bikes throughout the trip to date - though we still have 10 long riding days to go and, as today proves, anything can happen.

Though the day was hard to enjoy because of the accident, it was a great ride. Brian and Diana left before dawn while the rest of us were still eating breakfast, but the rest of us managed to get on the road a half hour or so later and we all rode out of town together. Jeff, Joseph, Bill and I pulled ahead after a while, and Joseph streaked ahead to do a 20 minute time trial as part of his training for a race next month. It was flat all day, and we got off our bikes to cross the mighty Mississippi in early afternoon. We offloaded in Kentucky, then after 7 miles or so rode into Tennessee. Dinner was a bittersweet affair, as we all got used to the idea that we were losing two of our favorites. Lest we forget, Dana and Britt rode 2400 miles across the country, and would most definitely have finished their trek if not for the pile up.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Day 29

Day 21 to me, but 10-10-10 to a church we passed by this morning. I'm not sure if the date has any biblical significance or the church was just trying to scare up some business.

111 miles from West Plains to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and an interesting day all around. After a very aggressive day of riding yesterday, Joseph hung back in the morning and Jeff and I were joined by our two intrepid guides, Dave and Karl. The highlight of the pre-lunch ride was several miles of dirt road - which essentially meant that my bike rode me for 30 minutes or so. The only casualty in our first dirt stretch was a flat tire by Joseph but, on the second stretch, Brian fell and suffered a bit of dirt road rash. At some point later in the morning Joseph flatted again and had to eventually replace both tires. Not his favorite morning.

Lunch was in a beautiful lakeside setting, then Jeff and I headed out with Dave. Brian's aches and pains from the fall got the better of him and he and Diana opted for the van for most of the rest of the day. Dave was also suffering a bit, so Jeff and I soon found ourselves alone on the road headed for home. Just like yesterday, the ride was all about rollers - some small, some big, but all painful.

As Jeff and I got close to Poplar Bluffs, I was struck again by how amazing the body is. Here we were, knocking out another 111 mile day, and at mile 100 we're cruising along at 25 mph. I have to search online to figure out how many pedal strokes there are in a 100 mile ride, but it's a lot!

We hit three states - Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee - tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to crossing the Mississippi on a little ferry sometime in the afternoon. It's another 101 mile day, but the profile looks a lot better than it has been, so I think it'll be a day to enjoy.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Day 28

101 miles from Branson to West Plains, Missouri.

First, let me say that the Ozarks are beautiful. Green forests as far as the eye can see, very few people and several bridges to cross over sparkling lakes and rivers. Second, let me say that you can get really sick of "rollers" after 101 miles of them. The inclines piss you off because they're often pretty long and steep. The declines piss you off because you know that the elevation you just gave up will need to be made back up again as soon as you round the next corner. That's right, rollers piss me off.

The three amigos headed out together, pretty closely followed by Bill and Marquette. Joseph decided to do a "power hour", upped his wattage and Jeff and I let him go (thank god!). We caught up with him for a great lunch on Bull Shoals Lake in Theodosia (great name!). After lunch Joseph decided on a second power hour, but this time Jeff and I decided to stay in range - which mainly consisted of Jeff pedaling hard and me hanging on for dear life behind him. After finally catching him, we rode together for a while, but by then the two of them were well entrenched in a "mine is bigger than yours" contest, pushing each other pretty hard. Of course whenever the two of them do this I'm the big loser, as struggling to keep up with  one of them is quickly followed by struggling to keep up with the other. All up, it made for a strong and fast 101 miles, averaging over 17 mph despite all of the climbing.

It's funny, I can still recall training for my first Marin Century - lots of long rides followed by a week of tapering toward the big event. Today's ride was at least as hard as that ride, and it's just a routine day on the bike as we cross the country! On the one hand, this seems perfectly normal. On the other hand, it seems like total madness.

Another 101 mile ride tomorrow. And so it goes.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Day 27

Branson - a rest day, though I had a three hour client meeting with the Branson CVB. Meeting went great - these are really nice people - then I proceeded with the unusual and very difficult task of doing absolutely nothing. Ate lunch, walked around the shops, did a few emails, played KenKen and caught up on Glee. Nothing.

Andy plays against Trinity, one of the top teams in the country tonight, and I'm bummed out because they're not showing it online. Instead, it's an early dinner, get the cycling stuff ready and generally continue the pursuit of absolutely nothing.

We're down to 12 cycling days left, but most of them are 100+ miles and this will be our most concentrated set of climbing days of the entire trip, so things should stay interesting over the next few days. I'm sensing the home stretch, but it's uphill all of the way. Missouri and the Ozarks are basically one long series of uphills followed by downhills - bigger than rollers and smaller than mountains. This seems better than pedaling into the wind all day, but we'll see.

Overall, it's quite a useful skill I'm picking up. Whenever you want to ride your bike 100+ miles a day for several consecutive days, I'm your guy! Anyone? Anyone?

Night.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Day 26

We made it to Branson and our second rest day. 90+ miles and I now realize that the Ozarks are going to present their own set of challenges with one roller after another - all pretty short but many reaching 15%+ grade.

As usual, we started last but rode fairly hard and got to lunch a bit early. Post lunch the two J's took the effort up a notch as we attacked one roller after another. The Ozarks really are beautiful, especially after several long days in the Oklahoma panhandle. I think we arrived at 1:30, at least a couple of hours ahead of the rest of the group, but luckily the rooms were ready for us. After several business trips, reaching Branson felt like a homecoming of sorts. We rode straight in on highway 76 which is the strip with most of the theaters on it, and it was fun to see everything again from a bike saddle.

Tomorrow's a day off, but I actually have a presentation to make to Dan Lennon and the Branson CVB from 9:00-12:00 tomorrow. I'm encouraging everyone to take in the Presley Family show tomorrow night, as it's a quintessential Branson show and the Presleys - led by Steve, one of my favorite clients here - are a great group of people. That said, I'll have to give it a miss as I want to watch Andy play soccer against arch-rival trinity University tomorrow at 8:00 PM.

Time to walk around Branson Landing and play tourist for an hour before dinner.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Day 25

111 miles from Bartlesville, OK to Neosha, Missouri.

First - a report from last night in Bartlesville, home of Frank Lloyd Wright's "skyscraper" - built in 1956, just like me. We took the elevator up to the 17th floor bar and I had a glass of real wine - it was a truly amazing experience! Dinner was pretty ordinary, but fun.

We were off by 7:45 in the morning, our usual little trio plus Karl - there to ensure we went fast enough. By the first van stop we had passes our other groups (not that this is a race!) and Bill had joined us. We took the speed up a bit more and headed in to a fantastic lunch (Prosciutto and Insalade Caprese - it made my top 3) at mile 65. Post lunch, the Missouri state line beckoned and we hit it a bit harder. I swear, the minute we crossed that line the grass got greener, the trees got greener and live people started popping up all over the place. Overall, I think we agreed that Oklahoma wasn't as tough as we expected, though that one killer day into the wind certainly left a lasting impact. Overall, the roads were fantastic - good surfaces and very few cars. We just has one busy stretch and Brian and Diana, on a string of unfortunate luck, were almost run off the road on it and had to jump into the van again for a while. Hopefully they have now appeased the gods and can get back to riding every day.

Everyone seems to be living proof of the old axiom "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", and 111 mile rides like today seem to be handled with increasing ease by everyone in the group. William, who probably put in the least amount of training time, is proving to be an incredibly resilient rider, while Dana and Britt just steadily work through the day and show up happy at the other end.

By the way, given how bad my photography is, you should consider checking out Dana and Britt's blog at http://habegger.tumbir.com.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Day 24

Ponca City to Bartlesville Oklahoma. A 71 mile ride, unless you go off-track and end up riding 82 miles. But what idiot on a cross-country ride would add extra miles unnecessarily? Unfortunately, you know the answer to this question. Oh well, it was a nice day and we had a great ride anyway.

Intrepid guide, mechanic, incredibly strong rider and all-round good guy Karl joined our usual trio and we rode to lunch at a fast but enjoyable pace. After a great lunch in the sun, we set off again and managed to blow through not one, but three turns we could've/should've taken. The problem was that Jeff immediately took up the speed and the four of us were enjoying the pace too much - both Karl and I totally missed the turns somehow.

Bartlesville is actually a pretty nice little town, featuring a Frank Lloyd Wright "skyscraper" that we'll go and see on our way to dinner. Dinner promises to be a step up - we're going to "Two Sisters" - so I'm cautiously optimistic. I might even get a decent glass of wine.

Tomorrow it's back to the longer rides - 111 miles from Bartlesville to Neosha, Missouri. Another new state! I actually looked at a map of the country and suddenly realized how far east we are. I've completely lost track of how many miles we've placed behind us, but at Day 24 we're a bit more than halfway there!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Day 23

A short and sweet 71 mile ride to Ponca City, which raises a couple of questions:
1) When did 71 miles become a short ride?
2) Who would name a town Ponca City?

I couldn't tell you a single feature of today's trip, other than the refinery outside Ponca City, whose smell definitely got my attention. We did face our first dirt road and managed to get through it without any casualties. I rode with the J's and, while the pace was quick, we stayed away from our flat out rush speed and had a nice casual day on the saddle. We rode fast enough to beat the lunch set-up, so headed over to a Dairy Queen for my first ever DQ meal - then over to the van for lunch #2.

We're off to Ponca City's best restaurant. It's called the Rusty Barrel and they weren't sure if they were going to open this evening, so it should be interesting. Another 71 miler tomorrow, then back to the 100/day pace we know and love so much.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Day 22

What a difference a day makes!

111 miles from Guymon to Enid Oklahoma, but a very enjoyable ride it was. As opposed to the main roads filled with trucks, barren landscape and strong headwinds of yesterday, we spent the day on back roads with very little wind to speak of. In addition, we all quietly decided to ride together today. While it may have been a bit slower going than usual, it really was a lot of fun to keep the group together. Poor William flatted three times and now has the trip record with seven to date.

For the first time, my legs actually felt really stiff when I woke up this morning, so a more casual pace was just what the doctor ordered. The landscape remained flat, but there was just a lot more to see. The weather threatened early, but started to cooperate more as the day wore on. Dinner was at the "Rib Crib" across the street. Any hopes of a glass of wine were shattered early when we were informed that, on Sundays, Oklahoma law prohibits the sale of any alcohol other than 3.2% beer (ie. Bud). You can't have one decent beer or a glass of wine, but you can drink all the Bud or Miller you want! To make matters worse, I'm missing a friend's birthday party (Happy Birthday Mike!) where my favorite dish (tahdiq) will be consumed with many glasses of great wine. Ah well, who said life had to be fair.

Unfortunately, Brian (one of yesterday's casualties) continued to feel awful, and he and Diana ended up hiring a taxi to take them to Enid. A day riding in the support van would not have helped Brian in the slightest. Hopefully they can both rejoin us in the morning.

After three consecutive 100+ mile days, tomorrow is a relatively short 70 mile run, so we're actually going to sleep in a bit and leave around 8:30.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Day 21

Well, that really sucked! It was a long, long ride from Guymon to Woodward Oklahoma. 126 miles and almost every one of them was straight into the wind. It was absolutely relentless and, for most of us, much tougher than our earlier 140 miles over the mountains. The problem with riding into the wind is that you have to pedal every single inch of it - there are absolutely no easy miles to be had. This was definitely my hardest ride so far.

As a result, four of our group had to get off their bikes and into the van today. Jeff and I buddied up pretty early and paced each other most of the way (thanks Jeff - absolutely couldn't have done it without you!). The only problem with this arrangement was that Jeff had a hole in the back of his shorts and I spent roughly half the ride mesmerized by his butt.  Joseph hung back and had a slower pre-lunch ride, but then exploded and (at least in a relative sense) flew through the post lunch ride and finished long before Jeff and I.

Because of all our casualties, we had pizza and beer in the hotel, though some of us still managed to make it to "K-Bobs" for a second dinner before retiring for the evening. Hopefully, a good nights sleep will allow everyone to answer the bell in the morning, as we're facing a 112 mile ride (also into the wind) tomorrow!

I'm sure there are a lot of good things to be said about Oklahoma, I just can't think of any right now.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Day 20

106 miles, from Clayton, NM to Guymon, Oklahoma.

It's very flat. We rode very fast.

We flew, averaging 23 mph over the first 50 and a bit less overall. We actually did our century in 4:28 and certainly could have gone faster if we didn't have tomorrow's 125 mile ride waiting in the wings. I have absolutely nothing to say about the countryside, as the occasional silos were our highlights for the day. For a whole bunch of reasons, it was great to get to our hotel early - the main one being that we dodged the strongest afternoon winds. We started with very little wind and our three man paceline became four with the reintroduction of Bill to our little group. Post lunch (at about 9:30 in the morning as we left at 6:45 or so), the wind shifted and increased, so we moved into echelon formation (for the non-cyclists, that means that each rider stays to the side of the one in front, with their wheel overlapping so as to duck as much wind as possible). With very little traffic we were able to occupy most of our lane as we sped along the road.

For anyone into calories, I thought I'd take a look at how many I've been consuming on these rides - since I would swear I haven't lost any weight yet. Our 140 miler topped the charts at 8500 calories or so and other days have been pretty regularly 7000 plus. Not sure how accurate this is, but it gives you a sense of how much food I'm stuffing into my face each day. Our motto is simple: If it moves, eat it.

Speaking of which, it's time for dinner at one of Guymon's finest establishments. Until tomorrow.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Day 19

Yesterday's ride had us a bit spooked, but today's seemed like a return to our old pattern. After being chased by two dogs we started our 91 mile ride with a steep but beautiful climb out of Raton through Sugarite Canyon State Park. While I expected to drop down the other side of the ridge we actually stayed up there for quite some time before a long descent took us toward lunch. A nice pre-lunch ride, but nothing especially noteworthy. I did wear my recovery tights that Sara loves so much yesterday evening and my legs felt much better at the start, so I'm starting to think it's not just psychological.

Our usual threesome led the way into lunch and then, once we'd eaten and re-applied the butt butter (I'm now committed to a new brand we all discovered called "dznuts"! An unfortunate name but a great product! I had to re-apply in a parking lot, so I imagine a few people might have been wondering why I was massaging my ass repeatedly under my shorts (ah - TMI again). But surely I digress.

Post lunch we immediately hit the afterburner and took long turns pulling each other toward Clayton. Into the wind, which was still pretty light that early in the day, we kept our speed between 20 and 25 mph and cruised all the way into the town of Clayton. If you've stayed at the Best Western in Clayton, you will wonder why the hell we were rushing, but we all had things to do that involved massages, the Internet and work - not to mention a driving need to get our butts off a bike seat. We pulled in at 1:30 and here I sit in my tights typing away post massage and shower.

Dinner tonight is here at the Best Western so keep your fingers crossed! Tomorrow is a flat 106 mile ride into Oklahoma. In addition to missing the late afternoon headwind, I have the additional incentive of being able to watch Andy's game if I can finish by 2:00.


Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Day 18

We started a new day saying goodbye to two of our number - Dee and Michael - both of whom are clearly more intelligent than the rest of us as they signed up for the shorter option. Despite flat tires, getting lost and then getting deathly ill - Dee managed to retain his humor throughout. Michael, the guy you should want as your doctor, left us with great memories of his quietly effective sense of humor. We'll miss both of them.

Lesson learned - never underestimate a day! After our 140 mile climb over the rockies, we were looking at 93 miles from Taos to Raton, New Mexico as a "short hop". We started by climbing out of Taos - another long but gradual climb up a beautiful canyon. We then hit a second, short climb and reached the high point for the day elevation wise. This was followed by a breathtakingly beautiful descent through Cimarron Canyon State Park. We were spread out on the way down, so I was alone to enjoy a ride with mountains on both sides and a river beside me. The descent went forever, all at ego-stroking speeds between 25 and 30 mph. We regrouped for a great lunch at the point where the rockies meet the great plains (for whatever that's worth).

We continued to ride strongly after lunch, but about 10 miles from home the group hit a headwind and some of us just started to wear down. Even Karl - doing a 93 mile ride after emptying his body for a couple of days - was close to bonking. When Jeff says he's close to empty you know it's been a tough day. I was definitely tired, but actually felt pretty strong over the last few miles - all of which I attribute to good living! That said, when I got to my room and looked in the mirror I saw a tired face caked in salt.

And now we sit here at the Holiday Inn Express. I think I've said this before, but I have learned to love these hotels. I did have an epiphany today - realizing that I need to shift my strategy. I've been fighting to keep up with Jeff (our strongest climber by far) on the hills and fighting to keep up with Joseph (our strongest sprinter by far) on the flats. This basically identifies me as an idiot. My new strategy is to stick with Joseph on hills and Jeff on flats - still a challenge but a more sane approach overall!

This was our first of nine consecutive 100 mile (ish) days, across New Mexico and Oklahoma into Branson, Missouri and our next rest day. If averages prevail, most of it will be straight into a headwind. I think this qualifies this stretch as the "just grind it out and don't think too much" section of our trip.

That's it - have to download Glee now so I can watch it tonight and catch up with Sara and Sydney!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Day 16

Ouch! 142 miles, about 9,000 feet of climbing, across the continental divide and summiting at 10,550 ft. Turns out that 140 miles is quite a long way to go on a bike!

Whose idea was this?

We started at 7:00 and froze our extremities off (yes - all of them) for 90 minutes before the sun rose far enough to provide some warmth.  Jeff insisted on warming his hands in his crotch, but I took a more conservative approach and just placed them under my jacket.

We gradually climbed until we crossed the continental divide, then got into the mountains and the real climbing began. It was like riding the Alps - about 20 miles of climbing, only to discover that the peak wasn't the peak and we had a couple of more long hills to climb. Then, the sweet reward of a long downhill followed by a fast ride into Taos, crossing the Rio Grande along the way.

My own ride was pretty straightforward. Freeze > think the altitude is getting to you > eat lunch > get lost and add two miles to the ride > scale the pass > cruise to the hotel. I actually felt better/stronger riding my last hour than I did my first hour. I managed to stay with Jeff (our strongest climber and then some) through the first climb, but when we hit the second he raced up the slope and I slowly followed in his wake. All up, a tough but very satisfying day.

It was a more memorable day for Joseph, whose girlfriend, Chiyo, surprised him by showing up (all the way from Guam) on her bike on the road into Taos. I was leading our group in and waved at this attractive biker going the other way. I wondered why she waved back so enthusiastically, then returned to the job at hand. Next thing I know Chiyo has done a u-turn and is riding next to a totally shocked Joseph! To the surprise of no one, Joseph suddenly found a hidden energy reserve and raced back to the hotel with Chiyo!

It was also a very memorable day for Dana, Britt and William - not the fastest riders in the group but definitely the most determined. They finished in the dark, and should be incredibly proud of their ride.

A rest day tomorrow and an opportunity to see Taos. This is our best hotel (by far) to date, and the Do Not Disturb sign is on the door.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Day 15

Unfortunately, the big news of the day is that everyone seems to be catching some form on bug. It started with Dee, who is still down for the count and Michael, who seems to have managed an overnight recovery. We thought it was food poisoning, but then Marquette and Karl, two of our high energy guide team, came down with all of the same symptoms last night and had to stay horizontal today. Without anything too graphic, those symptoms are primarily diarrhea and projectile vomiting, so they make riding impossible. Anything that knocks Karl on his ass this badly is serious! Both Diana and William are also feeling off, and the rest of us are sort of waiting for the next shoe to fall.

Today was a second late and very relaxed start, as we rode 60 miles from Durango to Pagosa Springs, CO. We stopped at this great organic farm for lunch and the food was great. Jeff, Joseph and I stuck together again, but actually managed to take it easy - as we kept reminding each other that we have to ride 140 miles to Taos tomorrow. 140 miles and over 11,000 feet of climbing, which includes a mountain pass at 10,500 feet elevation. Essentially, they've stuck something akin to the Death Ride (a notoriously hard century ride in the Tahoe mountains) into the middle of 34 other days of close to 100 miles a day. Fun!

Dinner tonight should be interesting, as everyone will be trying to avoid anyone else who is experiencing any symptoms of our bug. Poor Dee is trying to organize a rental car, so he can just go home, but there are none available in Pagosa Springs - so he's probably stuck in the van all day tomorrow before he leaves us (he and Michael are "just" doing the Santa Barbara to Taos section).

Think good thoughts tomorrow!

Day 14

Cortez to Durango - a short 45 mile ride, but lots of hills and we hit 8500 feet so the air was noticeably thinner at times. Guess we must be in the rockies! We were so relaxed today that we actually stopped for an Espresso - aah, the signs of civilization.

Even better than a short day, Joseph invited me to spend the afternoon and evening with friends of his who live in Durango. Durango was a great little town, and spending time with Chris and Anne (from Brisbane, Australia) and Vic and Karen (Durango) was fantastic. We just sat around the house, bought (then enjoyed) some great Australian Shiraz and grilled out on the back patio. All up, it was a great break from the routine. In the "small world" department, it turns out that Chris grew up in Hull, England - as did my mom.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Day 13

Back online - who would've guessed I'd learn to love Holiday Inn Express!

We're in Cortez, Colorado, after a 101 mile ride following yesterday's 117 miles. A tougher day due to much more climbing, but another beautiful day of riding. I loved Monument Valley yesterday, and seeing all those famous landmarks. We rode by the Close Encounters mountain, then got to ride past the spot where Forrest Gump stopped his run (that's right, there's a sign!). But that was yesterday, and this morning may have been even more beautiful, in that we saw some amazing rock formations and they were much closer to the road. 

Our usual threesome rode well with others this morning and actually looked like we were serious about an easier day given all of the climbing. But after lunch all of those good intentions fell apart as we hit the accelerator. We even managed to drop Super Dave, our lead guide and a very strong rider - then tore into Cortez and our Holiday Inn. Joseph actually called me an "animal". Believe it or not, this is high praise indeed from such a strong rider (at least that's the way I'm choosing to interpret it)! 

This is getting repetitive, but I can't believe how strong Jeff and Joseph are. I'm out of my league and loving it. This statement will come back to haunt me, but I can't believe how strong I feel on the bike. That said, I'm sitting here with ice on my knee, so my mortality is never far from the surface.

Unfortunately, we took some casualties today. Michael and Dee both got food poisoning last night and, while Michael managed to rally somehow and get through the day, poor Dee was pretty violently ill and had to lie in the van all day. On top of that, Diana - who seemed to successfully fight off a case of saddle sores - hurt her knee and also had to retire to the van. Hopefully both of them can answer the bell in the morning.

Tomorrow is a short but hilly 43 miles to Durango, which I'm really looking forward to checking out. Then another relatively short 60 miler, followed by a very intimidating 140 mile ride into Taos, where I get to spend two nights with Sara!!

It's kind of frustrating to be in Andy's state of Colorado but be so far away. On a more positive note CC won today's game 1-0, though I couldn't make it in fast enough to watch the game online.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Day 12

117 miles from Tuba City to Mexican Hat, Utah. Daunting at first, but with the help of J&J (particularly Joseph who was strong all day) we crushed it at an average speed of 19.8 mph!

This was a beautiful ride through Monument Valley, and moved us into our third state. It started with miles of rollers and ended on this long, ego boosting downhill that had us at 45 mph in stretches. Never thought I'd say this, but I felt great at the end - all those 100 mile training days may actually be paying off!

Having to write this on my iPhone, as the Internet is pretty sporadic at the Hat Rock Inn, so that's it for today and I'll try to write something a bit more interesting after tomorrow's 101 mile ride.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Day 11

A relatively modest 80 miler from the Grand Canyon to Tuba City, AZ. We started with a spin around the rim with lots of view opportunities, and everyone wondering why they were so short of breath. We were at 7500 feet! Lots of rollers and the vertical added up, but then some very long descents - into the wind but fast nonetheless - followed by lunch at a deli in Cameron. We even stopped several times to check out the views - very uncharacteristic but it'll keep Marquette happy as she keeps telling us to "smell the roses". While we missed the gourmet lunches from the van, my turkey sandwich tasted great. Post lunch it was a pretty quick 25 mile ride to our hotel and my massage.

We returned to our Jeff, Joseph, Bill and Austin foursome and the two J's were fairly subdued most of the day, though we still managed an average of 18.7 mph. Toward the end the two 40 somethings put the pedal down and first dropped Bill (who is 60 something and a remarkably strong rider for any age), then dropped the 50 something, who wanted to live to fight another day. Thunderstorms were in the forecast today, but we managed to miss them, and arrived around 1:00. Tuba City is part of the Navajo Nation and we find ourselves in an interesting position. One side of the main street is one hour ahead of the other! So, we'll be leaving our hotel at 5:00 to walk across the street to our 6:00 dinner reservation.

We have 117, 101 and 141 mile days in our next 5 - so energy conservation may be important. It's a skill I never mastered, and J&J make me ride like the 40 something I'm not, so things should get pretty interesting!

Stay tuned.

Day 10

As mentioned yesterday, Day 10 was a rest day. A hike down into the Canyon, a bus ride around the rim and dinner. An unremarkable day in all respects - except that we were at the Grand Canyon. We learned all kinds of trivia on our tour, but the one that stuck with me most as we walked into the canyon is that every foot you descend represents 400,000 years of the earth's history.

Ans one more remarkable event occurred yesterday - I didn't get on my bike all day!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Day 9

A long but very satisfying day - 105 miles from Seligman to the Grand Canyon at an average of 18.5 mph.

An interesting start to the day - a town wide power-out that hit just as we were getting ready - so no hot breakfast for me. This time I managed to find myself alone with Jeff and Joseph (not smart) and, after an unassuming, fairly slow start, the engines ignited and we flew. The first 20 miles was over the remains of Route 66 which, that early in the morning, rode like a bike path. Unfortunately, from there it was the shoulder of Interstate 40 for the next 18 - trucks going by at 70 and crap on the road everywhere. As if that wasn't enough, out Interstate segment ended with a very long climb up to the Colorado Plateau.

We actually peaked somewhere at 7000 feet - weird to think that, just out of the desert, we were at an elevation well above Denver. Off the highway at Williams, we headed to a park for lunch in a beautiful alpine lake setting - then left just as everyone else was arriving. We then took it up a notch as we rode the remaining 60 miles up highway 64 to the Grand Canyon. J & J were ridiculous, and we hit 34 or so several times and averaged 24 before finally stopping for a drink. We were moving so fast we outstripped the support van, which actually turned back because they assumed we couldn't possibly have gone that far. We flew! After a drink the engines started up again and Joseph took yet another long, fast pull. At the end of this he actually looked at me and said "I'm spent" - and I've never been happier to hear two words! By this time, I was still enthusiastic, but had limited ability to maintain the kinds of speeds we'd been doing. We then agreed to take it down a notch and entered the park.

On our way to the hotel (unfortunately a total dump) we stopped to look out over the canyon. As they say - it is grand. It's huge. It's beautiful.

Sadly, our speed got us to the hotel by 1:30, and we had to sit and wait (with a couple of well earned beers) for our rooms until 4:00. Because this area is operated by the Park Service you can't expect any good customer service principles to actually be in play. We celebrated Dana's birthday over dinner and closed out a great day of riding.

After 9 straight days of riding today is a rest day, and I need to do a bit of work, then we'll take a short hike into the canyon. We're now 711 miles into our trek, and only a quarter of the way there! Tomorrow is another 80 miler, which we've started to consider a short ride!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Day 8

Another 85 mile day, from Kingman to Seligman, AZ - on Route 66 the whole way. Thought this would be an easy day, but the wind and perhaps 8 straight days of riding said otherwise. Probably the least scenic ride so far, but still beautiful and still fun. My major tactical blunder of the day was chasing after Jeff and Joseph when they decided to go out hard. About 2/3 of the way up the hill I finally realized I'm an idiot, slowed down, then spent the next few miles trying to catch up. I caught them, but only because they stopped for water. I felt great before the lunacy started, not so much by the time I caught up with them.

Bill, the science officer for our small riding group gave us the start of a fascinating lecture on the geology of this region, focused on the formation of the Colorado Plateau. We'll get the rest of the story over dinner.

So, here we are in historic (and tiny) Seligman at the Historic Route 66 Motel, where I write this from a room with a plaque on the door that tells me Burl Ives once slept here. Be sure to ask for the Burl Ives room the next time you're in Seligman. Everything in Seligman is "historic" as this was apparently the birthplace of Route 66. It's not the General Store, it's the Historic General Store. It's not the gas station, it's the Historic Route 66 Gas Station. And so on. We'll be having a great dinner at the Roadkill Cafe which, scary as it seems, does seem to be a step up from last night's dinner at JB's. They actually have three white wines and a large selection of beer to choose from. We just hit the cafe for a round of malts, milkshakes and a chocolate sundae for me.

Tomorrow is a hilly, 105 mile ride up to the Grand Canyon - and a day off on the following day. While I'm very much looking forward to seeing the Grand Canyon (never been), I could easily live without the 105 miles!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Day 7

Just want everyone to know that Azi finally decided to take a look at the blog. I feel so validated! She also dispensed some classic Iranian advice - and I quote: "I'm glad you're taking it easy because as we say in Farsi, if you go full throttle, you'll burn off your balls". Thank you Azi!


So, somewhat surprisingly, Day 7 turned out to be the toughest ride so far. Just 85 miles, but the combination of the heat, a lousy road surface and the vertical made things pretty interesting. We left Lake Havasu and jumped on the Interstate for 9 miles. Interstates are pretty interesting. On the one hand they're flat and smooth and we did that 9 miles at 30 mph. On the other hand you're being passed by huge trucks doing 75 mph. From the highway we took the famous Route 66. Amazingly, everyone wants to promote this road, but no one wants to maintain it - the surface really sucked. We stopped for lunch in Oatman, this weird little "ghost town" with burros walking the streets being fed carrots by tourists. From Oatman and lunch we headed straight uphill - over Sitgreaves Pass - and on to Kingman and the luxurious Holiday Inn Express.


Our four man team again stuck together and performed well, joined for much of the ride by Karl - who did his part in keeping the pace high. Unfortunately, Dee and Michael went off course and apparently ended up riding an extra 30 miles - so the stories at dinner should be good.


Rest, dinner at JB's (it's gotta be good - right?), sleep - then another 83 tomorrow!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Day 6

A fun, 44 mile ride from Parker, past the Parker Dam and up to Lake Havasu City. Everyone was in good spirits as we left the hotel and rode over for a 6:15 breakfast at the Cross Roads Cafe. Just imagine, about 15 skinny cyclists in spandex stroll into this diner and proceed to double order everything on the menu. I'm sure the locals couldn't quite put it all together. Scary as it seems, a 44 mile ride in this heat now seems like a quick stroll in the park. Not surprisingly, Jeff (followed by Dave) still put his foot down on the climb out of Parker Dam - but the rest of us just let them go and I kept my heart rate below 130 for the entire ride. It's called active recovery.

Lake Havasu's claim to fame is that, in 1968, a local businessman bought the London Bridge (which was indeed falling down - sinking actually) and shipped it - stone by stone - to Lake Havasu. It's a very strange site, this old stone bridge in the middle of a desert town. Exciting - no, interesting - yes.

After arrival I chugged my recovery shake, did my laundry, spent $75 to upgrade to a "suite" (this is the Hampton Inn) overlooking the lake, then joined "the team" for lunch. We walked a half mile at most to the restaurant, but 106 degrees is friggin hot!

We have 3 more days of 80-105 miles in this heat, then we'll reach the Grand Canyon and our first rest day. After yesterday's ride, I just need to guard against getting cocky - stay within my limits and eat/drink everything that moves. Don't worry Sara, I don't think I've lost any weight yet. Time to watch Andy's game online, then off to dinner at Lake Havasu's finest restaurant.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Day 5

This was the day that had me freaked out the most. 110 miles in 106 degree heat.

It was awesome! We did it at an average of 20.7 mph and I felt great throughout. I even peed several times - unheard of when I'm cycling in heat - I'm so proud! It was Jeff, Joseph, Bill, Michael and I most of the way. Michael finally realized that the other four guys are certifiable and decided to ride with a more reasonable and fun group, leaving our usual foursome to finish up. Bill and I are the two appointed navigators (whatever it takes to stay on the plane) and Jeff and Joseph are the two engines. While Bill and I take our turns pulling, our turns probably add together to form one J&J turn. As an example, Jeff pulled the rest of us over the final 17 miles!

The Mojave Desert was beautiful and the scale was amazing. Having five of us taking turns pulling actually gave us something to focus on as we sped across the desert. Together, it was a great experience - but riding that thing alone would have been absolutely horrific! Once we reached Parker we left California and entered Arizona - one state down and a whole bunch left. My only issue was a case of "hot feet", but Karl had the solution and doused my feet in cold water whenever we stopped for water. I swear those guys have ESP, every time we started to run out of H2O the van magically appeared behind us.

Just had a great massage from Mistress Tara and everyone at Sterling is managing (prospering?) without me - so maybe I'll watch an hour of daytime TV here at the luxurious Best Western, Parker. It's a short but hilly 45 miler tomorrow then I get to watch Andy's game online. They're playing the #4 ranked DIII team, so he should be in for lots of action.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Day 4

An awesome ride through the desert - averaging 21 mph for 90 miles. Our two "engines" - J & J - performed very well, with Joseph leading me into 29 Palms with a gigantic high speed pull. Lots of sand, hills and Joshua Trees - a desolate beauty that never got old. People actually live in the middle of all of this!

I felt great all day. It certainly helps to ride with so many strong cyclists, but it felt as if I was holding my own really well today. The ride flew by and we were at our hotel by 12:30 - felt more like a 50 mile ride than 90 - thanks guys! Only potential issue so far is a sore butt (TMI?). The lunches have been fantastic, so there's very little need to eat on the bike (partly because our little group keeps reaching the lunch spot around 10:00).

Tomorrow will be hard - 110 miles from 29 Palms to Parker, AZ and the forecast is for 106 degree heat. Think the plan is to start as early as possible and get as many miles under the wheels as possible before the real heat sets in. That said, our guides are great and the van always seems to pop up just when you need more water.

More importantly, Andy just won defensive player of the week for 3 consecutive shut outs and Sydney sounds like she's already working hard - the parents are content. I speak to Sara every day and she does a great job of sounding both interested and enthusiastic about my daily adventure.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Day 3

Valencia to Victorville - 90 miles of the high desert. We started with a great 20 mile steady uphill ride, with Jeff leading the way and the rest of us tucked in behind. You're going to hear the phrase "tucked in behind" from me a lot as I blog this trip. Actually, I'll try not to mention it and we can just consider it a given that I was tucked in behind Jeff and Joseph. Michael and Bill rode with us today and helped me to keep the pace at a less than ridiculous level.

A great day at a very fast pace throughout. The climb through Angeles National Forest was awesome and the high desert was beautiful. The road into Victorville would've sucked anyway, but was made even worse by a strong headwind. The 90 miles really flew by and felt more like 50 or so. Had my first massage today - exquisite pain dished out by Mistress Tara, but it felt great as I walked back to my room.

Our guides are great. Dave is all quiet efficiency and you couldn't fluster him if you planted a bomb beneath him. Hmm - will Homeland Security check out my blog because I used the b word? Marquette (great name) is a teacher, and it shows. She definitely has the skills to keep our class in line. Karl (with a K) is this total ball of enthusiasm and energy, and fixes a flat faster than anyone I've seen. Tara inflicts pain and pleasure, plus makes an incredible lunch.

The rider group is also great, and everyone seems to get along great. There are no signs of conflict, so I may need to provoke something just to see what happens.

Another 90 miles tomorrow and it should start to get progressively warmer. Like yesterday, today was hot but very manageable. Tomorrow night's hotel is described in the fact sheet as "eclectic" - this can't be a good sign.

Yes Sara, I will post some photographs, as soon as I take my camera out of my bag.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Day 2

One down, 34 to go. Santa Barbara to Valencia - 76 miles and a beautiful ride, down the coast then eastward through thousands of orange orchards. Group shot in front of the Pacific to prove we started there (or is it photoshop?), then on our bikes and down the road we went.

Fell in with a bad crowd - Jeff and Joseph, both very strong - and will clearly come to regret this at some point in time, probably soon. We rode most of the way at 23+ miles an hour, thanks to Jeff's demanding pace up front. Beat the lunch set up and got to the hotel with four hours to hang out in my room and do absolutely nothing. Hot - but not ridiculous yet.

Joseph has a "helmet cam" and interviewed some of us while we were riding. Asked me why I'm doing this and I realized I don't have a particularly clear or profound answer. Said I needed to set myself a challenge, which is definitely true. There's also something very liberating about simply getting your ass out of bed every morning and getting on a bike. No other requirements - just ride from point A to point B.

90 miles tomorrow and it'll be hot. Can't wait! Once we climb up, we'll be in the high desert. In my mind the high desert must be cooler than the low desert, so how bad can it be?

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Day 1

We all met each other today and went out for a quick "shake out ride". Short but steep! A fair bit of climbing, but a frustrating lack of eastward progress as we ended up right back at our hotel. Tomorrow morning it all starts for real - an early morning wake-up and a 80 mile ride to Valencia.

Sara is driving back to Tiburon, Andy and Colorado College tied 0-0, Sydney spent most of her day in the library and I did over 3000 feet of climbing only to end up right back where I started. Clearly not the best Sunday for the McGhie clan.

Now, on to happy hour followed by dinner at the Fess Parker Doubletree Inn - it has to be great! With all this riding and recovery, my wine intake should decline enough to alarm a couple of Californian Vineyards.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Getting started

My first blog. Always seemed like a fairly egocentric thing to do, but I like the practical aspects of writing once under the illusion that there will be multiple readers. It also spares my family and friends from being inundated by emails from me telling them how each and every minute of the day went.

Here are the statistics. I'm riding an average of 100 miles a day for 35 days of riding, with 4 days off for good behavior - 40 days (don't ask where the other day went) in total. It'll be hard, easy, fun, boring, hot, cold, steep, flat, wet, dry and everything in between. The trip consists of 10 equally strange but committed riders organized by a few masochists at Trek Travel - starting in Santa Barbara on September 12 and ending in Charlestown on October 20.

The training has been intense, sometimes fun, but much more demanding than I had anticipated time wise, and Sara will deserve some form of sainthood once it's all over.

That's the set up. More to follow, starting at the beginning...