Notes
PE 80-85%+
Today's ride was a bit of a cluster...about 6 miles in, I flatted TWICE. Ended up having to change my back tire out(even though I started the wkend with new tires) I rode the last few miles by myself on 16 trying to catch the group. Since I missed about 30 minutes of the ride, I was only halfway through InfiniT bottle #1. At the rest stop I ate a Powerbar and topped off my InfiniT. Aus, Suzanne, Elizabeth, Marianna and I wanted to do the 110 mile route since our ride was cut short on Saturday. We agreed to stick together (famous last words). Rolled out from rest stop #1 with the fast boys but I figured with the exception of Jeff (who said he'd ride with us) the rest would start hammering and drop us pretty quickly. The entire group stayed together up the highway off 16 and through the neighborhood. Aus and I were at the back of the group and got stuck at the stop sign where you go left and cross the 4-lane highway. Unfortunately, the other girls were too busy trying to stay with the boys (although they apparently got dropped pretty quickly) to notice that we were stuck waiting on traffic.
When we made it across, there was a slight headwind and we were headed uphill so there was no way we were catching back on with the group. Aus and I toughed it out for the next 20 or so miles, taking turns pulling. After Eagle's Nest, we had the double whammy (chip seal and head-wind). Adrian came by and said she's see us at the next stop and would be at every turn (we were concerned b/c we didn't have a map) sowe continued on. We met back up with M, Suzanne, Jeff and Elizabeth at the next stop But learned that Adrian had left abruptly because the other sag was out of water or something? This was unfortunate b/c I was down to half a bottle and was in need of some salt tabs from my bag. Before we rolled out, Aus flatted so our group waited while she fixed it.
At the next long climb I dropped back from the group, legs just didn’t have much at that point (and I was little nauseous which is an indication for me that I need salt). Aus held up and kept an eye on me and we rode together to the next place we saw Adrian (mile 66 or so). Here I took some salt tabs, grabbed some for the road, had 2 little sandwiches, refilled my bottles and grabbed another CO2.
We rolled out and I didn’t feel “normal” yet - really needed to take it a little easier on the next few climbs and allow my body some time to process what I had taken in. Aus hung back (she had her phone so we could pull up the map if needed). 15 minutes in, I started feeling much better but by that point we were far enough off the group that we had to stop and consult the map. At mile , 76 we saw Adrian loading Brian into the sag but we kept going because we figured she’d be at the next turn. Then Aus flatted again. As it turns out, like me, she had 2 slits in her tire. She rigged it with 2 Gu packets (we each took one and toasted) and we continued on, without any CO2s (she had to use mine).
I was starting to run low on fluids again (1/2 a bottle left). We came to the next turn but there were no street signs (and no Adrian). Since we thought we were already on Cypress we turned left on what we thought was Center Point Road. About 4-5 miles down, when we didn’t see Old Kerr Highway, we decided to check the phone and make sure we were on Center Point Rd. It turns out we were on Cypress so had turned the wrong way and had to back-track (we could have kept going and made our way back into town but we didn’t want to go off course in case Adrian was looking for us). Made our way to Center Point Rd, did the big climb and then both Aus and I were out of fluid. Still no SAG.
I was thirsty but I felt pretty good and like I could finish strong. At mile 91 Chuck came to our “rescue” I wanted to re-fill my bottles and finish but he said we were getting in
Given some of the challenges of the day, I think Aus and I turned lemons into lemonade. We rode steady, put a deposit in the bank of mental toughness and had some laughs along the way.
PSS. Although still challenging, Eagles Nest seemedmuch shorter than the first year I rode it.