Cycling Ellen

I’m writing on our rest day at Indian Lodge State Park up in the mountains near Fort Davis, TX.  It’s a gorgeous lodge built of adobe back in the 1930’s by the CCC.  The outside walls are whitewashed stucco. Inside, the rooms have wooden shutters, wooden ceilings and wooden furniture – a favorite place of all we’ve stayed for many people.

Yesterday was a day of lessons for me.  I woke up after a bad night’s sleep feeling really sick.  My cold was worse, congestion in my lungs and sinuses, and I couldn’t keep food down.  After pushing through for the last few days, my body had clearly had enough riding and I had to give in and ride in the van for the day.  Without food, there was no way I could cycle so the decision was clear.  Even though I was warned that it was unrealistic to expect to ride every mile, things happen – illness, bike problems, weather – that you can’t control, I still had hoped to be able to pull it off.  The day ahead was to be a long one, 90 miles with the last 50 or so up into the mountains with a bad wind forecast and hot temperatures.  I felt bad physically and mentally – defeated by my body.

I changed out of my cycling clothes, put my luggage in the trailer and went back to bed until Linda was ready to leave.  She was setting up a lunch spot at mile 40 as there were no towns on the route.  I dozed in the van on the way there and then, while she was busy preparing lunch in the trailer, fell sound asleep in the van for a couple of hours.  Eventually, the cyclists started to arrive.  I am usually in the first group and it felt so strange not to be part of the endorphin rush of arriving after a good ride.  I still couldn’t eat so I just listened to the hum of voices as people came through.  The first 40 miles were the easy part on the interstate with a tailwind.  Now, the route headed south and up into the wind.

The van filled with a group who had decided that 40 miles were enough for them.  Bikes went up on top of the van as people filled in the seats.  I spied a bunch of javelinas (a kind of wild pig) back up the road waiting for us to leave to come clean up the bits of food on the ground.  They were too far back to photograph but still fun to watch from a distance.

We headed out seeing cyclists along the road.  They look so small and vulnerable from the van and yet, I realized, I have been one of them for over 1000 miles.  To get in a vehicle after so many miles on my bicycle gave me a perspective on what we have accomplished so far!  Here we are in Texas and I rode all this way on my bike.  Wow!

Along the way, we picked up Debbie who used the signal of tapping her helmet to let us know she wanted the van to stop. She’s fighting the same cold I have and her body had had enough too.  Later, Michelle went back to pick up riders who had persevered as far as they could.  The road was steep and relentless and the wind wasn’t helping.  We all cheered when Kat and Dawn showed up at the lodge almost 12 hours after they started!  Everyone has to decide for herself what she is up for that day.  Some want to make sure that they don’t push too far on any given day so they can keep going for 8 weeks.  Some want time to lounge by the pool in the afternoon after cycling all morning.  We all have our approaches and they are all ok.

When we were finally able to check in, I received a care package from Jen in Maine who sent along a new jersey and a loaf of blueberry bread which we shared before dinner.  Thanks, Jen.  It was great to get such an affirming letter on a day when I was struggling.

My roommate here is Jeannie from Michigan who is doing this ride on her road trike.  She had a stroke 5 years ago and is still accomplishing her goal of crossing the country with a compromised body and a can do it attitude. She can’t ride every mile (those rumble strips have been a real challenge) but she’s out here trying every day.  How can I let my day off be such a big deal?

Jeannie and I spent some time in the middle of the night sitting on my bed looking out the window watching the javelinas having a party with our trash bag.  I woke up to porcine grunting sounds unlike anything I had ever heard before.  There were four javelinas having a great time rooting through the trash, grabbing the tastiest bits away from their companions.  This morning, I watched them wander back into the brush, ready for their rest.

Speaking of rest, I spent most of yesterday taking a continual series of naps.  Today, our rest day, there is a trip up to the MacDonald Observatory which I’ve decided to skip.  I want to take it easy enough today that I’ll have the energy to get back on my bike in the morning.  I’m on the mend but not yet at full strength.  I’ll tuck away those lessons I learned yesterday and take them with me on the bike tomorrow.