Sorry I haven't update the blog since I arrived to CA, but the laptop I brought with me is not connecting wireless for some reason. I'm sure it's operator error. I'll see if I can bring you up to speed.
Since I arrived in San Diego, I met both Lon and Susan who are running the tour. Both wonderful people and legends in the cycling world (as you may have read on their web page). My bike had arrived safely and I unpacked and assembled it shortly after checking into the hotel and meeting the majority of the crew. They were all very busy prepping for the arrival of the other riders. I arrived 2 days early to get a little acclimated to the temperatures, but the San Diego temps were very similar to what we had out in Fairfax, Virginia. The riders that did show on Friday were all treated to a short ride and breakfast (16 miles). You can view the photos from Susie's post on Day 1.
So far it's been from San Diego to El Centro to Wickenburg and now I'm sitting in Flagstaff. We've gone from high temps of 106 in the desert to the projected lows of 34 for this mornings start (I haven't opened the door yet and don't want to). The journey thus far has been exactly as predicted...a suffer fest! Though I did want to suffer for the experience of it all. I mean - heck - why ride with all of these great cyclist and not suffer at least a little!
Rob Welsh has been posting the details of the ride on his blog and it's very thorough, so rather than me copying or retyping the exact same thing, I'm just going to request that you visit his blog for the details, since we've been bouncing the details back and forth off of each other.
Click here to go to Rob's blog.
I'm just going to ramble on about the tour and what a typical day consists of. That's probably all the time I will have for today. There's a message board that sits out by the support vehicles with all the special details that aren't covered in the packet of cue sheets we received at registration. So usually it's an important item to glance at when you arrive after your ride. Places to eat in the area are the biggest hit, then the massage room follows and then any route alterations, etc. Each morning starts with a 6am breakfast (varies a little depending on the distance of the route). You have less than a half hour to eat, because you have to load your gear in the gear trailer and be ready to go by 6:30am. Riders are off and separated into 3 groups by speed. The riders take off from fastest to slowest. Rob and I have been running in the fast and middle group so far. Out on the route, there are stops every 20-30 miles (give or take a few). As soon as you arrive at a stop you MUST wash your hands immediately, as to not contaminate the food and coolers with any body fluid that you've been wiping away during your ride (no need to get graphic here). The wash station is cooler of warm water mixed with soap. Simple and functional. Pour some in your hands, rub it around and wipe it off with a paper towel. Then it's onto the food. Grab what you want, fill your pockets, don't forget to refill your bottles and then reapply sun screen, and chamois cream (aka butt butter). You needed to stay protected as any small irritation can grow into a bigger problem down the road. Some time around noon the food station turns into lunch and they usually have a pretty nice spread laid out for the riders. I had a nice juicy cheeseburger with rice, pasta, beans and chips yesterday. I can't even remember what I ate on Day 1 and 2. I think I was too tired to recall having eaten. So then the ride ends, you rack your bike and wash it as to keep the rooms clean, shower up, pick a place to eat, rinse out your smell clothes or wash them if you plan on reusing it before 3 days (laundry day is every 3 days), go eat, get your massage if you've signed up for one, check the temps through the next destination to lay out your gear for the next day and then try to recover for the next day. It may not sound like much, but it is. Especially when you're tired and sore and hungry and sore (it's worth mentioning twice). We're hoping that the terrain will allow for an easier ride today to give the legs a break. We'll see! Right now I need to get ready for the day. I was hoping to keep this a little more organized, but it's going to be a hack job to say the least. I'll come back and explain photos etc. later. Sorry to keep you all waiting!
