I had trouble sleeping after yesterday's efforts... and I was pretty dehydrated. I was working from a deficit position and knew that I needed to take it easy today. However, shortly after we left the hotel, I was setting the pace for the group... for just a couple of miles. Beautiful, tree-lined country roads. Weather was warm... about 70 degrees at departure. But again, we had lots of turns.... 22 of them in the first 20 miles. We stuck together until the first SAG at 23 miles.
Shortly after that first SAG, I bonked. There was absolutely nothing left in my legs. And we were still in very hilly territory. If I had been biking in Bermuda, I wouldn't have simply gone home; I would have called Jane to come pick me up on the road. But that just wasn't an option (believe me... I thought about it). The particulars of the day are already a little vague; and it is still early evening. I was doing OK on the flats, but each hill was a killer. Randy had a late start and he caught up with me. The two of us biked for a while, but I was really going too slow and told him to chase down the group in front of us. There were still a few riders behind us.
Our route took us through Tuskegee. A few miles before the city limits, I stopped at a convenience store in the middle of nowhere for a Mountain Dew and a Payday. Just some sort of pick-me-up. A car pulled up to the pump and the driver was very friendly. He asked where I was biking and I explained about the cross-country trip. "Oh yeah... I saw you guys on the news last night. You're going from California to Savannah". Apparently Mike had arranged for a Montgomery TV station to get footage of us as we biked into Prattville yesterday. Cool. On that subject, I have met the best people at out-of-the-way convenience stores; they're all so friendly.
Tuskegee AL is a neat little town. It seems to be doing OK. However, I had another blow-out coming through town. Before I could get it changed, up pulls Karen, Jay and Randy (he had stopped at another convenience store). Jay helps with the change. I need a new tire in addition to a tube (I always carry a spare tube). Karen is on the phone, and Mike was just around the corner in the mechanics van. Everything is changed, and it is a paceline to the lunch SAG.
It was great biking with Jay, Karen and Randy. I was absolutely scraping the bottom of the barrel before they arrived... but had newfound energy while I was with them. I know I was benefiting from Jay's draft, but it is so much more than that. They bring out energy I didn't know I had.
The lunch SAG was at the this old, abandoned wooden store with a cool front porch. It was a great SAG stop. I took off by myself after lunch. My right knee was really killing me, and I was dragging. There was absolutely nothing left in my legs. About 20 miles from the motel, Karen and Mike caught me. Mike had traded in the mechanics van for his bicycle. He says "hop on" and they set a pace that is just perfect. Suddenly, that pain in my knee is gone. I've got more energy. And we're making good time. Like 21mph... which is about 10mph faster than I was doing on my own. Thanks guys... I would still be on the road if you hadn't come along.
Columbus GA is a neat town. I had come through in January, but it was raining and dark then. And I had completely missed downtown. It looks great in the daylight. For dinner, seven of us hit a brewery. The food was great, but I'm waiting until Savannah before I have a beer - where upon I will have 25 (one for each day we rode) and make a complete fool of myself. "I luv you man! We're doing this again and I'm paying!"
We lost our final hour coming into Georgia. This was a hard day on the bike. There are simply no easy days on this trip. Yesterday's extraordinary efforts were demanding payback. I'm exhausted. I mean I'm seriously exhausted. We're all exhausted. As I learned at dinner, several of the riders really had to force themselves through today.
Not a great posting, but I have to get some sleep. Thanks again for the emails. Apologizes for the delay in replying.
Can't believe you are almost there! The post are still fantastic and wishing you the best on the last part of the trip!!
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