Just want to begin with a few thank yous. To Kevin for picking me up from the airport in Portland and helping me put my bike together and getting my stuff ready before I set off for Astoria. Another huge thank you to Jason at JinjimCycles for building such an awesome bike - it's great! Also to Charlie from BodyFloat who came down to the start to check my BodyFloat seat post - he dialed it in and rode with us for a while.
The group start was really cool - not as many as I thought - about 40 riders turned up. It was a misty, eerie start to the day - temperature was perfect. The ride started off zig zagging through little country lanes and gave plenty of opportunity to chat to the different riders - from all over the world. It was cool to see all the different bikes in action. One guy on a velomobile, another on a single speed and another on a Time Trial bike. Plenty of road, cross and touring bikes. We travelled along the coast road, dipping inland now and then. Some beautiful scenery - as if the mist was floating over the river and fields.
I did mange to goatee wrong way twice on the first day - those of you following on Spot Trackleaders will have seen this. My Garmin got water in it a few weeks ago and I just can't get rid of it which makes the screen difficult to see. Especially in the position Imhad it down on my stem. So I have moved it now up,onto my aerobars and although it is at a weird Nile I can see it more clearly. No more wrong turns!!
Felt I rode well that first day - felt awesome - 245 miles and I couldn't believe how great I felt at the end of the day. It helped that the terrain was mainly flat and that there was a tail wind for most of the day. Managed o stay in a hotel the first night which provided an opportunity to charge my phone properly. I have three different leads - any one of which will wok with certain chargers but not others. Very confusing. Anyway I am fully charged and plan to keep my phone in airplane mode as much as possible. Just check in evey now and then for texts and voice messages.
After a good sleep I headed out early and felt good all morning. Too much stopping though - for meals - I just couldn't get my food intake right. Weird - today felt more like the first day than the first day did. I began to struggle - there were some big hill climbs but Impowered up them OK and enjoyed the descents and great views. View of the Sisters was spectacular and the snow on the mountains also made for some great scenery. As the day progressed it got really hot and I started to feel really crappy. It was my feet that suffered most. Started with my right foot feeling blistered, then cramps and bruising in my left foot. So I slowed down and stopped to stck my feet in the river for a while. Very soothing. I worried that I didn't want to push too much too early and then realized that was exactly what I had been doing. Pushing hard all days. Trying to power up those hills - my legs didn't mind but I guess my feet did. I need to ease back a little - spin the pedals a little bit more. Pedal up the hills rather than power up them! There is a long way to go.
I reached a long 15 mile downhill and decided I would stop for the night at the bottom. Easier said than done- couldn't find anywhere to stop. River on one side of the road and cliffs on the other. When I got past the cliffs there was barbed wire alongside. Eventually I reached a bridge and crawled under to get some sleep.
So all of this is going to sound really random, weird or like I'm some kind of stalker but hang with me and it will all come to light....or at least be entertaining for the moment. Our local newspaper posted that the TransAm would be traveling through our small town of Marion KY this year and that the cyclists would be offered lodging at the Methodist Church here in town. So, my husband, Brain started following the race on the internet and lucked upon the trackleaders webpage. We talked about how cool it was that a small town like ours was involved in something so big. Not much goes on around here. Anyway, I started looking around and noticed that lots of cyclists have fb pages, websites and blogs. I began to click around on some random ones and clicked on yours. I went to your website and the thing that caught my eye was that you ride in support of the Lupus Foundation of American and the UK. My daughter was diagnosed shortly before her 18th birthday with Lupus Nephritis. She is now 24 and doing remarkably well! Wasn't easy going in the very beginning. Lots of time in and out of the hospital. Lots of tests and even a 6 month round of chemo treatments. But luckily all that is behind her now. So I have said all of that to say this.....THANK YOU for bringing awareness to lupus and fighting not only for your sister but all those like her and my daughter.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are going to continue to follow you throughout your race and we wish you the best of luck. Maybe when you come through Marion it will be at the right time for your rest or to stay the night. If it is it would be great to meet you in person.
Well, I hope that wasn't all too creepy!
Safe travels!!!!