Saturday June 3 – Day 15
Today was sort of a second ginger day to see how the knee would hold up. Turns out it did pretty well, although it got a little tight on me on one of the early climbs. But it seems like it will be fine as long as I warm up, stretch, and take it easy. But I need that full rest day – maybe 4 days from now in Del Norte.
Tonight was sort of an emotional one for some reason. I think it’s just the isolation – I ride by myself, set up by myself, and then (usually) hang out by myself until Tim shows up, which can be awhile. Plus, working so hard every day really drains down my body and leaves me more susceptible to that sort of thing, I think.
I think I figured out part of what’s been slowing me down – I just haven’t been eating enough. I stopped and cooked an extra lunch of easy mac today, and felt a lot stronger throughout. (Later note: by this point in the trip I’d probably lost at least 12 pounds off my 6-3, 180 pound start weight. After I started eating more, I stabilized in the high 160s.)
Most of the ride today was open ranch country, some of it in a park with great views of the mountains. There were some shorter climbs to start the day, then some rollers once we got into the park. (One of the rollers right at the end was this super steep 400 footer with loose gravel all the way to the top. I was feeling the burn on that one.)
Tim is having a tough time again. Even nursing that sore knee, I was an hour and a half ahead of him by lunchtime. I stopped, drank a bunch of water, cooked up some easy mac, relaxed in the shade for a bit, then he rolled in. Same thing at the campsite – I got here at 5:30 and he dragged in after 7 saying he’d gone about six miles too far. That last climb was rough, but overall today did not seem like that tough of a day.
I looked at the map, and I think we can make it to Del Norte in two days. The second will be rough (65 miles, 40 up then 25 down) but the only other option is to do a 25 miler right in the middle. (The water is contaminated from Platoro to the top, so breaking it up into three more even sections is not an option.) I have not yet said anything about this to Tim. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.
Day 15 stats:
42 miles
3500 feet up
Tonight was sort of an emotional one for some reason. I think it’s just the isolation – I ride by myself, set up by myself, and then (usually) hang out by myself until Tim shows up, which can be awhile. Plus, working so hard every day really drains down my body and leaves me more susceptible to that sort of thing, I think.
I think I figured out part of what’s been slowing me down – I just haven’t been eating enough. I stopped and cooked an extra lunch of easy mac today, and felt a lot stronger throughout. (Later note: by this point in the trip I’d probably lost at least 12 pounds off my 6-3, 180 pound start weight. After I started eating more, I stabilized in the high 160s.)
Most of the ride today was open ranch country, some of it in a park with great views of the mountains. There were some shorter climbs to start the day, then some rollers once we got into the park. (One of the rollers right at the end was this super steep 400 footer with loose gravel all the way to the top. I was feeling the burn on that one.)
Tim is having a tough time again. Even nursing that sore knee, I was an hour and a half ahead of him by lunchtime. I stopped, drank a bunch of water, cooked up some easy mac, relaxed in the shade for a bit, then he rolled in. Same thing at the campsite – I got here at 5:30 and he dragged in after 7 saying he’d gone about six miles too far. That last climb was rough, but overall today did not seem like that tough of a day.
I looked at the map, and I think we can make it to Del Norte in two days. The second will be rough (65 miles, 40 up then 25 down) but the only other option is to do a 25 miler right in the middle. (The water is contaminated from Platoro to the top, so breaking it up into three more even sections is not an option.) I have not yet said anything about this to Tim. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.
Day 15 stats:
42 miles
3500 feet up
posted by Mike at 11:47 AM
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