Today started early. Breakfast was at 0615, and everyone seemed in a hurry to get started. They planned for us to take the long way around to Jackson, Alabama--102 miles because we could only cross the Alabama River where is a bridge. I had planned to ride with Anne and Kathy again, and learned later that they wanted to ride with me too, but none of us communicated with each other, and we didn't leave together. I went back to my room after breakfast to brush my teeth, and saw a big group leaving. When I realized that Anne and Kathy had gone on, I set out to catch them. It took me 7 miles to catch Kathy, and we thought Anne was up ahead. She told me later that she had stopped at a store for Powerade, and saw me ride by. Anyway, we all finally got together when we stopped to make pictures of a really pretty swamp. I just thought the Cheaha Challenge that Mike and I rode last Sunday was hard! TODAY was without a doubt the hardest ride I have ever done. No Mike to push me up the hills. No Bryan and David to draft behind. No DB and the Thursday group to echelon to keep me out of the wind!! There was one hill after another! The last forty miles were straight into an unrelenting head or cross wind. We got chased by two groups of dogs. I didn't have time to blow my new whistle, so I still don't know if it works, but I yelled at them and we managed to get by without anything bad happening. Then a big group of us missed a turn and had to go four miles to get back to where we were supposed to be. Lunch was great, tho. Patty, our cook, set up a wonderful picnic for us and we all ate in the shade in a cemetery. We all left together after lunch, but soon the hills and the wind started to take it's toll, and I ended up riding with another group of ladies. Two of them had never ridden a century before today. At our last stop at a convenience store, I had a coke and Advil, and it helped. With 15 miles to go, Marilee and I headed out into the wind again, and cranked our way up more hills--one with an 11% grade. After the most grueling ride of my life, we rolled into Jackson ahead of the pack. Some of the ladies who have Garmin computers said we had 4200' of climbing. All I know is that I am WIPED OUT. I am SO glad that tomorrow is a rest day. Mike told me that I need to go on an easy 15 mile ride tomorrow like the guys in the Tour do. Do I look like a Lance Armstrong type? I don't think so!! I may just stay in bed all day!! Besides, there ARE NO easy rides around here.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Bay Minette to Jackson, Alabama
Today started early. Breakfast was at 0615, and everyone seemed in a hurry to get started. They planned for us to take the long way around to Jackson, Alabama--102 miles because we could only cross the Alabama River where is a bridge. I had planned to ride with Anne and Kathy again, and learned later that they wanted to ride with me too, but none of us communicated with each other, and we didn't leave together. I went back to my room after breakfast to brush my teeth, and saw a big group leaving. When I realized that Anne and Kathy had gone on, I set out to catch them. It took me 7 miles to catch Kathy, and we thought Anne was up ahead. She told me later that she had stopped at a store for Powerade, and saw me ride by. Anyway, we all finally got together when we stopped to make pictures of a really pretty swamp. I just thought the Cheaha Challenge that Mike and I rode last Sunday was hard! TODAY was without a doubt the hardest ride I have ever done. No Mike to push me up the hills. No Bryan and David to draft behind. No DB and the Thursday group to echelon to keep me out of the wind!! There was one hill after another! The last forty miles were straight into an unrelenting head or cross wind. We got chased by two groups of dogs. I didn't have time to blow my new whistle, so I still don't know if it works, but I yelled at them and we managed to get by without anything bad happening. Then a big group of us missed a turn and had to go four miles to get back to where we were supposed to be. Lunch was great, tho. Patty, our cook, set up a wonderful picnic for us and we all ate in the shade in a cemetery. We all left together after lunch, but soon the hills and the wind started to take it's toll, and I ended up riding with another group of ladies. Two of them had never ridden a century before today. At our last stop at a convenience store, I had a coke and Advil, and it helped. With 15 miles to go, Marilee and I headed out into the wind again, and cranked our way up more hills--one with an 11% grade. After the most grueling ride of my life, we rolled into Jackson ahead of the pack. Some of the ladies who have Garmin computers said we had 4200' of climbing. All I know is that I am WIPED OUT. I am SO glad that tomorrow is a rest day. Mike told me that I need to go on an easy 15 mile ride tomorrow like the guys in the Tour do. Do I look like a Lance Armstrong type? I don't think so!! I may just stay in bed all day!! Besides, there ARE NO easy rides around here.
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