Globe to Safford, AZ

78 Miles (last 10 with the benefit of a Tailwind….as rare as seeing a Unicorn)

Brrrrrr. It was a chilly morning 43 degrees as we headed out on this fine St. Patrick’s Day. The cool temp combined with several miles of descent, made for frost on my pumpkins. And hands, and legs. After such a hard day yesterday today was high mileage, but a great ride.  A long descent, rolling hills, and a tailwind was as enjoyable as a pot of  gold at the end of a rainbow! (corny? sure, but I am tired and silly).

The route led us through the San Carlos Apache Reservation for many, many miles.
What a a spectacular view to our left. Mountains and more mountains with spots of green amongst the desert landscape. The Saguaro cactus dotted the hills which made it look as though they had marched off of the desert floor and climbed the hill to stake their claim.

And then there was the view to the right. I have mentioned the trash in previous posts, but the roadside in the reservation was blanketed by trash. Discarded bottles-plastic and glass were everywhere for miles and miles. You could not help but be disheartened by the sheer volume and what appears to be apathy about it.

My thoughts wandered to my trip to Kenya many years ago. We stopped in at a Masai Village where we toured their dung mud huts, and their community circle. (All for a donation, of course). I remember how my first thoughts about how they lived were ones of disbelief…how could they live like this? Then I thought about it a bit more, and they were not to be pitied as they were not impoverished. They lived in a community with family, where they farmed and worked together to fulfill their needs. They had big smiles, and children played and laughed openly. Difficult at times not to judge others by how you live, what you are accustomed to and what is normal.

I did not feel this through the Reservation. We saw little activity, lots of forlorn and unkempt homes. I counted three dead dogs on the side of the road. It just felt sad.

I refocused my thoughts on the ride and the beauty of the landscape.
Tonight is our last day in Arizona already. To celebrate we stopped at Taylor Freeze in Pima for an ice cream. What a great place, if you are ever in Pima, AZ it is a must stop.

I arrived at our hotel ok, motel and was treated to a St. Patrick’s day card sent by three of my favorite lasses. Thank you!

Gold Canyon/Apache Junction to Globe, AZ

49 Miles

Some days, the song titles announce themselves to me.  I had not had this song on my list, but somewhere along the road, this song entered my brain, and rattled around in it for hours.

So the question of the day?  Was I “Tuff Enuff?”

The first 12 miles found me rolling out with the big dogs, well, at least I could keep them in my line of sight for the first 10 miles.  And that reinforced to me that I was starting to feel stronger.  The two previous days had not sucked the life out of me, and I was heading to Globe feeling confident.  Strength and confidence was what I would need to get through this day.  The maps, showed several climbs and a 3800 ft elevation gain.  Our map meeting last night provided a bit more food for thought.  A challenging ride was ahead which included multiple climbs, a tunnel, limited or no shoulder and potential for lots of traffic and whizzing cars and trucks aplenty.   A trip not for the faint of heart.

Ok, so there were options if we wanted to ride partially and take a bump.  I was committed to give it a shot, and make my way through the ride, one milestone at a time.  I am happy to say that I did make the entire 49 miles.  BUT, I will also say that it was not without fear, uncertainty and doubt.  (Wendy – FUD Factor works in Sales, as well as this adventure..)

There were 3 miles, that if the devil had presented himself to me with an offer of a ride for my soul — I likely would have taken the offer.  Mile 27 would not, for what seemed like an eternity turn to Mile 28.   There were times that I was stopping not every mile, not every half mile, but every quarter mile just to slog ahead.  Truly a difficult ride.  Thanks to Tonya, my riding buddy who helped me through the 3 miles, and then the final 15 – still no cakewalk – but we churned our way through.

The scenery was absolutely breathtaking (and not just my huffing and puffing up the climbs).  The benefit of going slow is that you can stop and take photos, which cover up for trying to regain strenngh.   There were these pretty cool white trees amongst the rocks.    We also went through the Tonto National Forest .  We went through the town of Miami, which is home to a large copper mine

I feel accomplished and exhausted.  I am trying not to look to far ahead – but I know that New Mexico is beckoning and there are several hard rides to come.

Tomorrow is a 78 mile day, but should be a bit kinder…. before.. well.. time for bed…Today, I was tuff enuff .

Phoenix to Gold Canyon

58 Miles

” Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle,

I want to ride my bicycle, bicycle, bicycle…”

Today was a spectacular day for a ride, and in the fantasy world that I live in, I would have liked this day to be one of the first of this trip.  58 miles of even terrain, no huge climbs,….ahh..  Lots of urban cycling, so we had to navigate through traffic, and construction, but that was not so bad.  We left Phoenix and winded our way through Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. Spending a bit of time off the main roads and in several residential neighborhoods.  And some of them were quite high end – Wow, there are some beautiful homes in this area.

In Paradise Valley there were tons of people strolling or biking through their neighborhoods on this early Saturday morning.   We continued on through Mesa, where there was a ton of road construction happening – and we had to be on the look out for construction debris – nails, wires etc.

We stopped in a Subway to grab a sandwich and I was able to connect with Helga Parker – who jumped in her car and met us.  I have not seen Helga in many years, but we easily chatted and caught up. She was able to speak a bit of German with one of my traveling companions.  Yesterday was so nostalgic for me, and today with Helga brought it back again.  But what was clear to me, was that although my Mom has been gone for 7 years, she is still ever present through the relationships that she had and the person that she was.  Audrey and Helga, both spoke about Mom, and said that they missed her very much.  These people came out to see me, yes – but they were there because of my Mom.   And for that, again, I am grateful.

Wonderful day – great ride!  First day that my quads were not smoking and I finished as strong as I started.   We are in the midst of  eight days of consecutive riding- with a few hard days to come.  I will take today and enjoy the moment!!

Wickenburg to Phoenix

67 miles

8 Old Friends

Okay – so this is the third time I have attempted to get this post up.  Lost the internet connection multiple times which resulted in losing my text.

What a day!  We left Wickenburg and headed to Phoenix and we were greeted with More, More, More!  More flowers, More trash/debris,  and More traffic.  However, there were less strenuous climbs and the day moved along well.

The weather in Arizona has been outstanding.  85, with a light breeze and today we had a bit of cloud cover.  I don’t mind that at all!  The second day, I did not reapply sunscreen, and a week later, I am peeling like crazy on my arms and right leg.  I am now better at slathering on the sunscreen.  I look like a greased pig pedaling across the desert.

Right before the mile 40 SAG stop,  we passed a Glider Rides outfit — we did not stop, but I thought i will have to add that to my list.  We also saw a bi-plane that treated us to our very own airshow — rolls, dips and circles  for miles.

As we approached the SAG stop, I could see that there was a larger than normal group still there  Usually the riders will stop in refill water bottles, and snacks and head out.  As I am at the tail end- there is not usually a big crowd.   I could also see a group of people with signs, and as I got closer big smiles.  Which made me smile as well!   There before me was Audrey and Alison Buckley and Lori Zolla.   What a treat.  Like many on Westgate Rd, where I grew up, the Buckley’s were part of a great neighborhood at a wonderful time of our lives.   We had such good times there.  Of course Audrey was crying so I started crying and several of my fellow riders hung out and took pictures.  As Audrey hugged me she said to me “Your mother would be so proud of you”.  I thought yes should would, but I Also thought she would be saying,  “I don’t get it.. but I am proud of her…”

I have been able to catch up with Lori many times over the years, but seeing here there reminds me once again, that distance is not an obstacle to friendship.  Later in the day, Lori was kind enough to shuttle several of the riders back and forth to the bike shop while I showered.  Now that is a friend.  We had lunch at Chili’s and caught up – and it made the next 17 miles fly by.

But the hometown reunions were not over yet !  I had another surprise as Mike Garland greeted me in the lobby!   So wonderful to see an dcatch up with you MIke!  Mike’s wife and daughter joined us in a bit and brought Mrs Garland who looks just as she did when she was the school nurse!

Quick shower and dinner with Michaela and Alison.  A full day of reminders that I do love, where I come from !

Oh and there was riding today.

Will catch up on the rest tonight.!  Hoping for a more stable internet.

Salome to Wickenburg

57 miles

Gorgeous day – warm with a cooling breeze

There was little hesitation as we rolled out of  the vintage motel.  It was just as described, and as expected. It had, personality, which started with the desk clerk who as the tale was told to us, would tartly retort when told there was a bug in a guest room, “it’s dead, what do you want me do to about it now”.

A distinctive feature was the pink neon lights on the low rise motel buildings. Atmosphere?  Shout out to Martha Webb–perhaps a chapter in your next  staging best seller could include this great feature?

Today was a much better day for me than yesterday.  No drama.  Thankfully. The past two days the weather has been outstanding, warm  yes, but with a mild wind that was helpful and cooling, not debilitating.

As we ventured further east, the desert landscape treated us to several pops of color, as early spring found several plants and flowers in blooms.  Purples, yellows, oranges – all scattered about.

Second day in a row, that we made good time, and ended up at a small local cafe, or cafe/bar/grill/nightclub depending on the time of day.  If i had to classify my tastes, I would say that I am more of a cake for breakfast kind of girl, but when presented with no cake, but pie — I can adapt and eat.  And eat pie I did.

With a sugar buzz we continued down Route 60 where there were quite a few roadside memorials to accident victims.  Some of which were quite elaborate and very sad.  A couple thoughts lingered with me as the miles slipped away.  First, at a moment were the desert springs to life by the edge of the asphalt, it also claims so many lives.   That thought was quite sobering, especially as cars and trucks flew past us well beyond the speed limit.  It was clear that most drivers did not see either the life giving or the life taking elements of the highway.

There were plenty of other signs of life as we approached Wickenburg. There is a clear correlation between the amount of trash on the side of the road and the population of the area.  As there is a clear pattern that beer drinkers are more prone to throw their bottle out the window vs. wine drinkers.

Yesterday at mile 15, the sentinel of the desert, the Saguaro catcus emerged from nowhere. Today at mile 40ish the prickle pear cactus appeared!  

Wickenburg welcomed us with a fabulous and fast descent into the town center. Wickenburg is the Dude Ranch Capital of the World (as decreed by Wickenburg..)   You can feel the “West” here, a bit touristy, but lots of Cowboy references and kitsch.

Tomorrow we head to Phoenix!

Day 5 Peaceful Easy Feeling The Eagles

Rest Day – no miles!

Enjoyed a day off on Tuesday. It felt great to rest my weary legs and to spend the day conducting mundane, but necessary tasks. Meals are not included on non cycling days, so I grabbed breakfast at the hotel. Carol our guide ran a bike cleaning clinic at 9 which was then followed by …you guessed it cleaning my bike. Sweet Ruby has been very reliable so far so the least I can do is keep her in good shape. My next task was the local laundromat. Um, it has been quite some time since I have been in a laundromat and boy, did it show. I approached the coin changer with caution, at first fishing out any $1 bill that looked as though it had not been through the washer and started to feed them in one at a time. I looked around and realized that a load of wash was $3.75. Dug around for a $5 and boldly put it in the machine. Jackpot! I then went to the low tech vending machine and ended up with a package of Bounce, because I had not depressed the button for detergent. After I struggled through that, with soap powder in hand, I moved to the washer. Dumped clothes in, dumped powder in, put money in. Good so far. Hmm, the door would not shut. Hmmm try again. Hmm, and them a sweet Abuela came to my rescue. With the use of pointing and head nods, she pretty much said, “hey, dumb ass did you not see the duct tape that indicates out of order?” Of course the duct tape was not over the coin slot btw. She marched me over to another machine and supervised my transfer of laundry to the new one, and even helped the crazy white girl out by measuring out a cup of her detergent for me to use. In exchange, I handed her the bounce sheets. We smiled and hung out. To close the day, it was two trips to Rite Aid, and out to dinner for Chinese. Early to bed.

Day 6 – My Own Worst Enemy. Lit
Blythe, CA to Salome, AZ 63 miles

Today we assembled early to get a jump on the day and beat the heat. 3 miles down the road we found ourselves in our second state, Arizona. Our entrance to Arizona took us to another interstate. We road I 10 for a total of 30 miles today, with the initial stretch of 20. It was a beautiful ride- but I will be honest I did not enjoy it a ton, as the interstate is wicked busy with trucks and cars whizzing past you. Lots of debris to watch out for on the side of the road. All those blown tires that you ignore in a car become obstacles and culprits for many a blown tire. Know what happens to steel belted tires when they blow? Yup fragments of tiny steel pieces everywhere that find their way into your tires resulting in a puncture.

I stopped to take a few pictures as it was so pretty. At mile 15 I noticed the arrival of saguaro cacti dotting the landscape. It is amazing to me how they all of a sudden appear. The cue sheet indicated that we exit the highway at Quartzsite and make our way to Darlene’s Bakery for pie. Sometimes I fell like a hobbit as this turned out to be second breakfast for me, and who doesn’t like pie for breakfast?

Upon arrival at the counter I went fishing around in my back pocket to locate my travel snack size Baggie that holds my cash, ID and credit card. Uh-oh. Not in the back pocket. And then the frenzied checking of pockets, bike bag, windbreaker, back pocket again (neurotically checking multiple times) to no avail. Somewhere on I10 my license, insurance card and other goodies are flapping in the breeze. One of my fellow travelers, Helen, from Canada was kind enough to buy me a slice of pie and a diet coke as I worked to get my shit together. I was devastated.

Sometimes, I am my own worse enemy- I should have had it in my bike bag stowed safely. Thanks to my tremendous sisters at home for their quick help in canceling my cards and calming me down. I have lost it more in the first 6 days of this trip than I have in years. But, I am finding it all works out.

The rest of the ride to Salome was uneventful, even enjoyable when I allowed myself to stop beating up on my bruised ego/psyche.

Salome is a small town of about 1400 with limited accommodations. Which is a nice way to say, suck it up the hotel was vintage in 1950. It is kind of crappy, but it is kind of fun.

Tomorrow onto Wickenburg to look for cowboys.

Brawley to Blythe

87 miles

*note: I have pics to upload, but they are getting hung up on the wifi – will add in when I can!  I miss my high speed internet!!

This morning we were up and out early. Breakfast at six with the desire to start out at 630 to beat the heat. But due to the time change it was a bit darker than we hoped for so we hung around before we got the all clear to roll out. The parking lot was littered with the group waiting impatiently for the sun to rise just that little bit. And when it did, it was right in our eyes, as we are heading due east. It was a beautiful sunrise over the agricultural area as we rode out of Brawley. I am not very good at my agricultural identification skills, but I will go with Alfalfa. Could be a total lie. If someone wants to google it let me know what you find.

The sun rose and the temp started to tick up rising quickly from 52 to mid 70’s and then on up to 88 at the high point. The winds which had battered us the first few days subsided greatly and we were treated to light winds which were perfect for keeping the heat manageable and to offer up a cooling breeze, and did not gunk up our bikes and gears too much with sand. We rode beyond Brawley and onto the desert, which offered a beautiful view of  mountains in the distance and the desert landscape went for miles, and miles and miles.

Today the ride was long, but offered up a wide variety of terrain changes and views. We rode through the Imperial Sand Dunes. Which answered the question what do people do out here? They ride 4 x4’s and dune buggies though the rolling sand dunes. It was quite impressive. Not too much activity as it was Monday, and early, but you can imagine how this place must be hopping on a weekend. Looked like it would be a blast- right out of the Dunes scene for one of the Star Wars movies.

In this place I had my first, “this is frigging awesome!” moment. It was so beautiful, and so stark that you just had to stop and look around at it all. And just soak it all up.  I had a big smile on my face as I stopped to look at the dunes/desert.  I was glad it was not windy so that I did not have too much sand in my teeth when I smiled!   So different from home. Pretty cool. The pictures will likely not do it justice, but it was great.

We rolled past Brawley and onto the desert. Which offered beautiful view of hills in the back and tons of low bushes and scrub.   Population wise the entire ride was very low. At some points only the occasional car passing by was the only sign of inhabitance. Limited resources required that we have a lunch stop about 35 miles out. A great lunch on the side of the road was just what I needed to refuel and refresh.  The SAG drivers, chef and guide have been great, personable, professional and so helpful.  Great job.

Next up for terrain were a series of rolling hills that are aptly named “rollers” for about 12 miles.  I LOVE THESE!  Once you figure out your gearing, and your ability to determine how steep they are on the uphill, you can plummet yourself down pedaling as hard as you possible can (up 30 mph) and you propel yourself up the other side.  Mostly this works, sometimes your swift second calculations don’t work and you have to pedal a bit to get to the other side.  Pedaling hard down is always something I prefer over pedaling hard going up!  The only downside, or caution was that there was little or no shoulder so you were out in the lane with the cars and trucks as they whizzed by and enjoying the rollers as well.  This caused a moment or two where you wished you could use the same magic that Harry Potter did in one of the movies, where he was able to “shrink” himself  to get in between traffic.  Only once, when a large tanker truck blew by that I could feel myself pull in my shoulders to try and make myself small.  It was great.

The final 20 miles into Brawley were on smooth pavement (finally and thankfully) and were were back to agricultural land with fields of crops, hay balers, and large tractors going about their business.   I could identify a field of lettuce – that one I could figure out.

Long day in the saddle, but a very enjoyable one.  I felt free of the anxiety of the first few days, and it was great.

As our chef prepared lunch for us, we went out on the town at the Sizzler to whoop it up!  After a day of riding, every meal is a good one.

Rest day tomorrow!  Will work on getting pictures up – but it takes forever!

Jacumba to Brawley 69 miles

Descended to 125 feet (give or take a few) BELOW sea level

Road Kill update  (no pictures. Phew from  some, boo from others):  Coyote, and large snake.

“You have to know when to hold ’em,  know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, and know when to run…”

At the evening map meeting last night, we received a preview of the today’s ride, and it made me lose sleep thinking about it.  Because I had a decision to make.

Carol our guide, driver, and shepard  shared with us that within the first 15 miles there would be be a 10 mile descent, that dropped 3000 feet.  With a steep grade, and we would be riding on the “8”, a California interstate.  Now that alone gave me pause, however, my thoughts were more toward caution, then concern.   Conce immediately followed.  It was forecasted that those tough winds that we experienced yesterday were also forecasted today.  The numbers that were tossed around by a few looking at weather apps was 20-35 mph winds, with possibility of wind gusts of up to 55.  Now, when you are climbing, these winds, are very difficult to make quick progress.  And some of the gusts rattl your soul. But you could walk, if you were unable to churn those pedals forward. (and walk we did at times).   The thought of those winds on a steep descent make me very uncomfortable.  I have been riding for a few years, but I still consider myself a novice.    Carol offered for those that were interested the use of the van to give a “bump” to the bottom of the interstate.

In and of itself, this was not a difficult decision for me to make — I am pretty good at being decisive.  You know the choices, you avail yourself to as much information as possible, and you make a decision. Right, or wrong. You make the decision.   You look at the risk vs the rewards, you look at what you can lose or gain, you look at short term and long term impact, you weigh the impact to your self or others..  You make the  freaking decision.  You don’t waffle you don’t sit on the fence, you do not let someone else make your decision, and you do not regret it.

In bike touring there is this concept of EFI, or EFM —  Every Inch, Every Mile etc.  The concept of achieving the ultimate of your cross country journey – riding every possible mile.  There are riders that are very committed to achieving this, and some on this very tour.  As reference there were 7 (I think) that achieved this last year out of 28.    EFI/EFM was not on my list of personal goals — would I like to achieve it – sure – who would not want to have bragging rights to such an achievement.

Out of all of you that are aware of my journey and who have shown me tremendous support there is likely only one or two that will be disappointed to know that the decision that I made this morning takes me out of the running.  I could not risk it –  I had such a difficult day on Saturday with the climb and the winds, that I was afraid.  During one descent yesterday, I was going about 30 MPH and a gust swept up and knocked me around pretty well.  The adrenaline was running after that!      Once you committed to the descent there would be no turning back.  I made the decision to take the van.  As did a total of 12 riders.  Sorry  B & J!

I thought about it a lot today during my ride, it is not uncommon to disappoint others with the decisions that you make.  Even when it is the right one for you.   I have no regrets.  I still have 3000 miles and 55 days to go. The thought of being the one this year to leave because of injury did not resonate with me

From our starting point we pedaled 53 miles.    The first 22 miles were pure joy.  The road had a few inclines, but all easy enough and enjoyable.  The next 7.5 miles were not quite as much fun. The cue sheet listed it as  “Left onto Drew Rd/S29 toward Seeley. Very rough road- sorry!”  Um, so when the cue sheet has an apology within it , clearly it is a mess.  And mess it was .  Bone shaking, teeth rattling, ass crunching, knee knocking mess.  The entire 7.5 miles, less 200 feet were rough hewn pavement. The likes of which i have only seen when I was in Kenya, and the locals chose to drive on the dirt paths instead.   You had to work hard to pay attention because of the  pot holes, dips, dirt patches, cracks and crevices that wanted to pull you in.  My teeth  are still chattering. And my yes, my ass is still aching.

Stopped with several riders for lunch in ElCentro at Cecilia’s.  Had a quick refueling (although not as quick as we would have liked it as it was Sunday, and a popular spot for families coming in from church.  but the food was good. I had Chile Rellanos and off we went.  The last 15 miles was at a leisurely  pace where I chatted with one of our riders from Midland , TX.  I  very much enjoyed chatting and rolling along.

Tonight we are at the Best Western Brawley – another solid hotel – just what I would expect – Clean and functional!.

I need to log off and get ready for tomorrow as it will be a long hot day in the desert.  87 miles.  With not much beyond sand and sagebrush.  Even the guidebooks warn travelers to stock up with food and water as there are not too many services.  The tour company will serve us lunch as there is nothing around

There were several choices for today’s song title, but the simplicity of this said it best. Hat tip to SY for the recommendation.

Alpine to Jacumba (ha-cumba)

47.5 miles

2000 Ft climb (s)

up to 12% grade

Each evening after dinner we meet for a preview of the route for the next day.  Our map meeting discussion for today’s ride had one theme, and one theme only – when you leave Alpine – you go up, up, up.   There was no mention of the wind however, and that meant that in addition to the up, up, up part, it also meant you went slow, slow, slow.

Alpine to Jacumba Started at 2000 feet topped 4000 feet. and yes, we rode across all of those roller coaster hills.

The morning routine includes bringing your bags to the trailer and packing them in the trailer, putting air in your tires, eating breakfast (typically standing up in the parking lot – unless it is a hotel breakfast) and then packing snacks from the snack table.  Then it is go time!  Everyone pretty much trickles out when they are ready to go.

Most of us were ready to go bright and early, and there seemed to be a bit of anxiety from the group for the ride ahead.  Of course, that anxiety could have been all of my own – but I do think there were a few others that felt the same way.  The thought of a day with may significant climbs was a bit overwhelming for me, but it was time to roll out and as my friend Adam encouraged me to “Embrace the Suck”.  Not only did I Embrace the suck, I kissed it,  and married it by the end of the day.

The first 13 miles took me 4 hours.  Yup, you read that right – 4 HOURS!  Between the climbs and the winds, and oh, baby, did those winds blow!  I (we) were crawling.  As part of route today, we actually road on a California Freeway – I-8 (oh wait, I’m sorry.. THE I-8.. little California freeway humor for you..)   Total miles on the freeway?  3.4 miles.  Total time on the freeway – 1 hour.  The freeway did have a wide shoulder – so that was great — but I will say that after viewing the debris on the roadside (which consisted of glass, bolt, nails, screws, etc) I will never, never, ride behind a truck with a full load.  I didn’t realize how much stuff bounces off of them, that is suppose to be securing the load!

Everyone on the ride has been incredibly supportive and for the fun on the freeway I had a great riding companion.  We were the last two to check in at the SAG (vehicle parked with drinks, food – where we check in)  We made a quick stop for some red twizzlers- which I have been told have magical powers that will help me climb…hmm… and we were off – as the harsh reality that after 4 hours we still 30+ miles go.

I had several mantra’s rolling through my head today, one I recited at every mile, and often within that mile.  This Mantra came in the way of advice from one of my fellow riders husband yesterday morning before we rolled out.  He was an experienced cyclist, and had completed a cross country trip.  I asked him what would be the one piece of advice that he had for us as we set out, based on his experience.  His advice was “you are stronger then you think”.   Say that 50-75 times over the course of 8 hours – and somewhere along the way you start to believe it  (Thanks, Carl!)     The second Mantra was “one mile, one mail box, one pedal at a time. ” And finally the third was “F*&*^ off Mr. Wind!”

We stopped at a cafe  around mile 20, and it was recommended to have the pie.  I had sandwich (but a bit of pie right about now sounds appealing)- I was starved, and realizing I still had miles to go, I thought it was best to fuel.  Good thing we did as we still had climbing and wind to deal with. I do not have the exact speed of the wind gusts – but one of the women was blown off her bike today.  She is fine, but she has a bruised hip!  Yikes.  There were gusts of wind, and sections of road that we walked up – it was faster than trying to ride with the wind pushing you back.  C-r-a-z-y!

We also saw a lot of Border Patrol activity. There were Check points and the big bad fence.  Somewhere in all the planning and viewing of the itinerary, I missed that fact that we are so close to Mexico while we are in California.  I was expecting it in Texas, but not here. (hey, Joe C- Check it out on the map – I know how you love maps!)

Good night everyone and thanks for all of your wonderful support and encouragement – it means the more than you an ever know!!!

San Diego to Alpine

35 Miles

2700 ft elevation climb

7-9% grade

For the title of my blog each day – I am going to attempt to use a song title that helps to define the day.  Remember – sometimes it is only the song title – not the lyrics. Today I give a shout out to the Long and Winding Road.  A great  fit for the start of a cross country journey.

First thought of the morning was a toss up between “Ready or not hear I come”, and who the hell is texting me at 4:00 in the morning?   I did sleep a bit – so that was good – as I was increadibly anxious – about well, most everything.  My first anxiety to overcome was that my luggage was well below the 50 pound maxium.  We are allowed 2 bags not to exceed 50 pounds, each bag not to exceed 30.   Ever the overachieving Girl Scout – I like to “Be Prepared” .  Phew, no public castigation.

Thank you to my send off team (again, you will tire of me saying it – but I will not be able to ever voice my gratitude enough.)……I have the best Village!!!  3000 miles away from home and from places in between, I had a hugging, cheering and picture snapping crew.  Thanks to Bryce, Dan, Matt, Teri, Brenda and Andy!  I thought I would be weepy – but was so intent on getting started – that after the ceremonial tire dip, photo, sand removal from feet, pictures  and hugs – I rolled out 568 days after I signed up for this trip!

Getting out of San Diego – the first 10 miles or so was what you would expect navigating through a busy urban area.  San Diego is “bike friendly” with designated bike lanes. BUT that doesn’t mean it is easy to get through.  Busy traffic, lots of left hand turns, and lanes collapsing – we had to pay close attention.  Plus I am sure we looked like quite a sight – a gaggle of cycling geese in a single file pattern flocking East!   For those familiar with San Diego – we left from Dog Beach, and headed out right past the San Diego Charger stadium.

The group started to separate after the first climb out of  San Diego.  And that was for me a bit of a wake up call – There be climbing to do to get to Alpine and beyond!    All the training that I did to prepare me absolutely helped, but I felt quite a bit rusty not being able to  get out and ride my bike during our snowy winter.  I am not a fan of climbing – as a matter of fact it is my weakest and least favorite portion of cycling.  Which is a very tactful way for me to say – it sucks, big time.  I get to the top, slow and steady – but it is work.   I was part of a small group of 6-8 and we pedaled along and enjoyed getting to know one another when we had the chance.

The last turn on the cue sheet before entering the hotel – was not a welcomed one!  Take right on Alpine Road for 3.5 miles of steady climb.  UGH – Although it was only 35 miles today – relatively short all things considered – it was my first day out and I was beat. Climbing for another  3.5 miles was not something I would relish.  For those that know me well know that on occasion I have a penchant to drop  an “F” Bomb.  You all would be proud of me – I did not drop a single one.  (foreshadowing: I saved them for Day 2).

The final climb found our group shrunk to 4 then 3 then 2.  We worked together to stay positive. Resting, pedaling, drinking water.  It was a mile to mile kind of climb.  And if necessary, it would (will) be a mail box to mail box kind of climb.

The two of us made it to the hotel  together. Yay.  And that was when my second major anxiety (of the trip, not just the day) was overcome.  We were the last of the geese to trickle in – last.  And Nothing happened to me.  Huge moment for me.  I wil not lie – and when I got to my room, I did weep a bit then.

Most would suggest that I am a very confident person – and that is mostly true. But there is a big hole in that theory — when it comes down to it – I am very confident in what I know, what I do, what I am familiar with.   My confidence wavers greatly when I am trying new things that I don’t know if I am good at, or what the hell is going on!  I want to be good at it, I want to look like I know what I am doing, god forbid I look stupid.  But today, well, today, was the first of what I hope to be more of breaking down those fears and anxieties.

I was last today, And nothing happened to me.  Well, something happened and it was good.