I want to write a witty, well-crafted introduction to this blog post, but honestly, I'm way too tired to use my creativity. So, on that note, holy shit. I'm tired.
Yesterday kicked off this 2 month-long Tour de America with a short send off from the people from the ALA. Hands were shaked, good will was given, and general good vibes were in our s
S small, dimly-lit 7am parking lot. Its no surprise that the whole group started with a huge bang. Whether it was the strong coffee or the combination of lack of sleep and adrenaline, my teammates and I quickly found ourselves blasting through the streets of Seattle, eager to arrve at our first destination.
During my time in prep for this event, I've gotten great advice. I've also gotten a great deal of praise for even attempting this feat. Needless to say, when a friend or colleague would reassure me that I would finish this, I believed them. Yesterday came as a bit of a shock for my ego and my suprisingly feeble body.
Our first day was a long day, 94 miles up a mostly low-grade hill, 5 miles of which was slightly more graded. I'm not joking when I say that this ride made me reconsider if I was even strong enough to reach Washington D.C. At the end of the day, though, I realized that I wouldn't have felt half as good if the ride was simple, as it always goes. My legs will mend (eventually), but I still remember how happy I was to see the exit for our camp site. Some generous Big Ride alumni cooked us a great meal, of which we all ate too much, and like a light, the riders were out.
Today was almost just as difficult, but we had a pretty gruelling 15 .ile stretch of pure, slow uphill. The 77 miles were well worth the struggle, though. Every mile gave a new look at the Cascades behind us, and rolling hills spotted with sleepy ranches provided at perfect backdrop. The beauty calmed the ache in my legs, if only just a little bit. The end of the ride was 10 miles of straight downhill into the Colorado river basin. As. A previous rider said about Vantage to Odessa, "this is the day you get in shape." Wish us luck!
I think every big thing I've done (though none so big as yours) has included large amounts of "holy shit, I'm so far in over my head..." In the beginning stages. But yeah, without the struggle the accomplishment isn't nearly as sweet. Good luck tomorrow!
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