Enjoyed a good night in the hotel. But was just so difficult to leave in the morning. So nice to shower and especially wash out my bike gear as it was beyond belief bad. So bad that I didn't even try to wear my socks yesterday I rode barefoot. I think they could have stood up on their own. But of course at 5.30 am it was all soaking wet - the heater had automatically turned off. So I turned the heat on and immediately fell back to sleep for a couple of hours. So then when I finally got moving it was late. I went for breakfast and just felt really awful. Maybe I slept too long - that meant 8 hours without any food. Who knows? I struggled for 20 miles. Found a littlevtown and had a great bowl of chilli. 10 miles to the next town when I couldveat again. I feel like I am building up my food levels in the mornings having lost it all during the night. Maybe I should try to eat more before I go to bed. Anyway it's a beautiful day so I need to keep riding/racing. It's a fine line between racing and surviving and just going a little slower to actually be able to have some fun and enjoy the ride. Just trying to figure out where that line is.
Well here I am sitting in a log cabin at a Hot Springs. The last two days I have spent far too long sitting in cafes and restaurants trying to catch up with food. Yesterday I killed it riding. Rode 195 miles in 12 hours but then wasted just as many sitting around eating. I just feel yuk and started getting a scratchy throat today. It's just not worth it. So I have stopped at this funny little place and have myself a cabin. Ate and then took a dip in the natural hot springs. It's now 9 pm and I amhaving an early night. I will get up early in the morning and carry on riding. Need to try to figure out this whole ride/eat thing. It's not like when I have the boys supporting me in the van with food ready whenever I want it. It's not working as well as I had hoped. But my goal is to finish - so I just need to work it all out.
I am falling apart: soles of my feet bruised. Shoes feel too small so riding without socks. Then calves cramp up. Need my compression socks for calves and Achilles. Knees feel they are going to explode. Quads feel wonderful. Bottom a little sore. Stomach never happy. Back and shoulders - in and out good bad. Covered in mosquito bites.
Arrived in Hamilton really late last night and stopped in a little park. Probably should have stopped earlier. Had stopped at Mc Donald's earlier and felt great and then continued to a petrol station at around midnight. But their tills were down and so they couldn't serve me and so I felt dreadful by the time I reached Hamilton. Shame because I had overtaken one guy and was within 10 miles of another. Of course they are both way ahead of me again now.
But I still think it's best to recover and feel good again. Then I just need to figure out how to ride and eat and stop less often. Good night.
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