This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:29.698
Longitude:-101.1985
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:12/08/2008 14:59:19 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.698,-101.1985&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Day 16 - Sunday, December 7
Description: Finished the ride in Sanderson TX after only 83 miles.
After sleeping in until 6:15 at the Alpine Best Western, I got up and had a big breakfast of sausage gravy biscuits, eggs, bacon, sausage patties, yogurt, a danish, OJ, and coffee. I then packed up and began riding at 8:15 heading straight east on RT 90 for a mostly down hill day. It was a warm morning and I did not need a jacket or shoe warmers. Well, the wind was wipping again and I fought a challenging side-wind for the first 30 miles to Marathon. At Marathon, I took a coffee and breakfast burrito break at a small little cafe in an RV park. It was awesome (see earlier picture posted) and the coffee was great. Then I shoved off for the final 53 miles hoping for better wind. To my surprise and delight, I was able to catch a slice of tailwind for the next 30 miles and made great time. I only stopped for a quick Payday to recharge the system. Then I rode around a mountain and the wind turned into my face for the final 22 miles. The last 10 were brutal. At one point, I was going down a 2 % grade and could only maintain an 8 mph pace. I finally made it to Sanderson which sits in a canyon that was guarded by the winds. Sanderson claims to be the Cactus Capital of Texas but I did not see many. It is a small town with a few little motels, gas station, and 2 or 3 food joints - no Starbucks here! Big pick-up trucks and hunters were everywhere. I was lucky to get a room at the Desert Oasis motel due to hunting season. I actually saw several nice deer during my ride today through some awesome countryside. I checked in, showered and headed out for some dinner. A guy at the gas station across the street highly recommended the Dairy King and Mexican restaurant. It was kinda like a run down Dairy Queen but their Mexican food was awesome. I had their Mexican Plate which included 3 enchaladas, a taco, beans, rice, and salad. The enchaladas reminded me of my Aunt Rose's famous enchaladas feasts that our whole family used to have up in NJ. I topped off dinner with some vanilla ice cream and called it a day.
Tomorrow could be a big challenge depending on the wind. I would like to go for Del Rio which will be close to 110 miles. If the wind is bad, I can back off and camp at 58 or 86 miles. As of tonight, the wind is straight in my face - yuk! We will see....
Good night.
Weather: Absolutely perfect riding except for the wind. Highs were in the 60s and the sky was Carolina blue.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 83 Trip: 1,221
Total travel time: 7:30 Trip: 122:10
Bike Riding time: 6:08 Trip: 97:08
Avg speed: 13.55 Trip: 12.80
Max speed: 26.19 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 848 Trip: 32,972
Avg pedal RPMs: 90 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 112 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 133 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,484 Trip: 71,542
Weather Statistics:
High temp 66 Trip: 75
Low temp: 58 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Against mostly
Total good wind days: 6
Total bad wind days: 10
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Desert Oasis motel
Total hotel nights: 15
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 50
Pints: 1 Trip: 26
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - only the wind slightly dampened my spirits. Tomorrow will be better - right?
After sleeping in until 6:15 at the Alpine Best Western, I got up and had a big breakfast of sausage gravy biscuits, eggs, bacon, sausage patties, yogurt, a danish, OJ, and coffee. I then packed up and began riding at 8:15 heading straight east on RT 90 for a mostly down hill day. It was a warm morning and I did not need a jacket or shoe warmers. Well, the wind was wipping again and I fought a challenging side-wind for the first 30 miles to Marathon. At Marathon, I took a coffee and breakfast burrito break at a small little cafe in an RV park. It was awesome (see earlier picture posted) and the coffee was great. Then I shoved off for the final 53 miles hoping for better wind. To my surprise and delight, I was able to catch a slice of tailwind for the next 30 miles and made great time. I only stopped for a quick Payday to recharge the system. Then I rode around a mountain and the wind turned into my face for the final 22 miles. The last 10 were brutal. At one point, I was going down a 2 % grade and could only maintain an 8 mph pace. I finally made it to Sanderson which sits in a canyon that was guarded by the winds. Sanderson claims to be the Cactus Capital of Texas but I did not see many. It is a small town with a few little motels, gas station, and 2 or 3 food joints - no Starbucks here! Big pick-up trucks and hunters were everywhere. I was lucky to get a room at the Desert Oasis motel due to hunting season. I actually saw several nice deer during my ride today through some awesome countryside. I checked in, showered and headed out for some dinner. A guy at the gas station across the street highly recommended the Dairy King and Mexican restaurant. It was kinda like a run down Dairy Queen but their Mexican food was awesome. I had their Mexican Plate which included 3 enchaladas, a taco, beans, rice, and salad. The enchaladas reminded me of my Aunt Rose's famous enchaladas feasts that our whole family used to have up in NJ. I topped off dinner with some vanilla ice cream and called it a day.
Tomorrow could be a big challenge depending on the wind. I would like to go for Del Rio which will be close to 110 miles. If the wind is bad, I can back off and camp at 58 or 86 miles. As of tonight, the wind is straight in my face - yuk! We will see....
Good night.
Weather: Absolutely perfect riding except for the wind. Highs were in the 60s and the sky was Carolina blue.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 83 Trip: 1,221
Total travel time: 7:30 Trip: 122:10
Bike Riding time: 6:08 Trip: 97:08
Avg speed: 13.55 Trip: 12.80
Max speed: 26.19 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 848 Trip: 32,972
Avg pedal RPMs: 90 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 112 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 133 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,484 Trip: 71,542
Weather Statistics:
High temp 66 Trip: 75
Low temp: 58 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Against mostly
Total good wind days: 6
Total bad wind days: 10
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Desert Oasis motel
Total hotel nights: 15
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 5 Trip: 50
Pints: 1 Trip: 26
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - only the wind slightly dampened my spirits. Tomorrow will be better - right?
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.1445
Longitude:-102.4051
Nearest Location: Sanderson, United States
Distance: 1 km(s)
Time:12/07/2008 14:11:22 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.1445,-102.4051&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.1445
Longitude:-102.4051
Nearest Location: Sanderson, United States
Distance: 1 km(s)
Time:12/07/2008 14:11:22 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.1445,-102.4051&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Day 15 - Saturday, December 6
Description: Finished the ride in Alpine TX after 116 miles. It was awesome and the scenery was fantastic.
They say everything is big in Texas and it was today. The wind was big, the mountain was big, and my distance was big. I woke up very early at 5:45 in anticipation of a big ride. I hit the breakfast bar very hard with double helpings of waffles, cereal, OJ, and coffee. I loaded up the war scarred Big Green Machine but then had to wait until the sunrise as I just entered Central time and forgot that daylight started later. Checked out and was rolling around 8. Wow - the wind was howling at 15-25 mph mostly at my back. It was very cold and overcast so I put on my shoe covers, gor-tex jacket, ear covers and blasted off in I-10 East. I had to ride 38 miles on I-10 before turning South into the mountains. The wind was awesome at my back and almost felt like being in a draft line behind Mr. Bridenbaugh, Ron, Kevin, Ernest, Fast Tim, Slow Tim, Slow Todd, and Sporadic Stephen. Brian is always at the back except when it counts so he was omitted. While riding the wind and drafting tractor trailers, another cross country cyclist passed me on the other side of I-10 and he appeared to be struggling with the wind. We waved and moved on. I rode with the wind for 38 miles to Kent where I exited and stopped at a gas station. I re-fueled with a turkey and cheese sandwich, peanut butter criss cross cookies (my favorite), and a large coffee to prep for the upcoming climb. After exiting I-10, I turned South and was ready for a battle with the wind and the big hill. I was riding on the edge of the knife as whenever the road went left, I had a favorable side-wind but when it went right, it cut me hard. The road turned left and right for 37 miles up to the top of the mountain with very little relief (Stephen, I would love to see the profile view of this climb from Kent to Fort Davis). The climb felt like 7 or 8 Lystra's and a half dozen Up Chucks (my weekend ride group knows what that means). As I neared the first pass, 2 wild mountain goats with big horns ran across the road in front of me. They did not like the AC/DC cranking out of my boom box and did not stop for pictures! During the climb, I saw lots of vehicles with fresh cut Christmas trees on them - I think they were stealing them. At the top of the climb was the McDonald Observatory which has several cool looking observation domes on the top of the mountain. I was just glad to be at the top of my final mountain climb of the trek. After the top, I blasted down the mountain to Fort Davis which was my planned end point at 91 miles. Wilson and I scoped out this small town quickly and figured it did not have a comfortable bed or enough calories to satisfy our appetites. Then Wilson challenged me. He said I had plenty of Daylight, Downhill, and Da wind at my back and said I could make it all the way to Alpine which was another 25 miles. I had lots of excuses for calling it quits. Then Wilson said I should stop complaining about my burning thighs, 91 miles ridden, and the silly 38 mile climb I just completed. He said to fuel up, shut up, and start riding as daylight was a burning. I reluctantly agreed to Wilson's challenge and looked forward to beating the sun down to Alpine even though this would mean 116 of total miles. I hit a small grocery store in Fort Davis and re-fueled the furnace one more time with a ham and swiss on rye, a banana, and a Starbucks Mocha Frapp. Then we cranked on through the small town of Fort Davis and on toward Alpine. Just before the city limits, a herd of deer started running across the road in front of me. All I could think of was Norris who got run over by a deer during a Blood, Sweat, and Gears ride a few years ago. I stopped and waited until the 9-10 deer crossed. From there, I watched the sunset as I entered the somewhat small town of Alpine. I actually saw the sun rise and set while on the bike today - how many of you could say that? I grabbed a room at a Best Western and took a long hot shower. Then I went across the street for a huge pasta dinner with a salad, cheese biscuits, and a large draft. For the day, I ate a huge breakfast, a good lunch at Kent, 2 candy bars, an energy bar, 2 GU Energy Gels, and then a big supper. I also drank 6 24 oz water bottles. All of this was needed to fuel 116 miles, I suppose. As Chris Cope said yesterday, my diet is starting to look like Michael Phelps.
Tomorrow will be a recovery ride of only 85 miles or so to Sanderson TX.
Good night!
Weather: Cold and overcast in the morning and then perfect blue skies and warm temps in the afternoon.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 116 Trip: 1,137
Total travel time: 10:00 Trip: 114:50
Bike Riding time: 9:04 Trip: 91:00
Avg speed: 12.81 Trip: 12.74
Max speed: 41.56 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 3,693 Trip: 32,124
Avg pedal RPMs: 90 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 121 Trip: 118
Max heart rate: 192 Trip: 195 - almost blew an artery today
Calories burned: 6,723 Trip: 67,058 - record burn today!
Weather Statistics:
High temp 64 Trip: 75
Low temp: 44 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Helped me mostly
Total good wind days: 6
Total bad wind days: 9
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Best Western
Total hotel nights: 14
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 45
Pints: 1 Trip: 25
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - awesome day and I hate to see the mountains behind me.
They say everything is big in Texas and it was today. The wind was big, the mountain was big, and my distance was big. I woke up very early at 5:45 in anticipation of a big ride. I hit the breakfast bar very hard with double helpings of waffles, cereal, OJ, and coffee. I loaded up the war scarred Big Green Machine but then had to wait until the sunrise as I just entered Central time and forgot that daylight started later. Checked out and was rolling around 8. Wow - the wind was howling at 15-25 mph mostly at my back. It was very cold and overcast so I put on my shoe covers, gor-tex jacket, ear covers and blasted off in I-10 East. I had to ride 38 miles on I-10 before turning South into the mountains. The wind was awesome at my back and almost felt like being in a draft line behind Mr. Bridenbaugh, Ron, Kevin, Ernest, Fast Tim, Slow Tim, Slow Todd, and Sporadic Stephen. Brian is always at the back except when it counts so he was omitted. While riding the wind and drafting tractor trailers, another cross country cyclist passed me on the other side of I-10 and he appeared to be struggling with the wind. We waved and moved on. I rode with the wind for 38 miles to Kent where I exited and stopped at a gas station. I re-fueled with a turkey and cheese sandwich, peanut butter criss cross cookies (my favorite), and a large coffee to prep for the upcoming climb. After exiting I-10, I turned South and was ready for a battle with the wind and the big hill. I was riding on the edge of the knife as whenever the road went left, I had a favorable side-wind but when it went right, it cut me hard. The road turned left and right for 37 miles up to the top of the mountain with very little relief (Stephen, I would love to see the profile view of this climb from Kent to Fort Davis). The climb felt like 7 or 8 Lystra's and a half dozen Up Chucks (my weekend ride group knows what that means). As I neared the first pass, 2 wild mountain goats with big horns ran across the road in front of me. They did not like the AC/DC cranking out of my boom box and did not stop for pictures! During the climb, I saw lots of vehicles with fresh cut Christmas trees on them - I think they were stealing them. At the top of the climb was the McDonald Observatory which has several cool looking observation domes on the top of the mountain. I was just glad to be at the top of my final mountain climb of the trek. After the top, I blasted down the mountain to Fort Davis which was my planned end point at 91 miles. Wilson and I scoped out this small town quickly and figured it did not have a comfortable bed or enough calories to satisfy our appetites. Then Wilson challenged me. He said I had plenty of Daylight, Downhill, and Da wind at my back and said I could make it all the way to Alpine which was another 25 miles. I had lots of excuses for calling it quits. Then Wilson said I should stop complaining about my burning thighs, 91 miles ridden, and the silly 38 mile climb I just completed. He said to fuel up, shut up, and start riding as daylight was a burning. I reluctantly agreed to Wilson's challenge and looked forward to beating the sun down to Alpine even though this would mean 116 of total miles. I hit a small grocery store in Fort Davis and re-fueled the furnace one more time with a ham and swiss on rye, a banana, and a Starbucks Mocha Frapp. Then we cranked on through the small town of Fort Davis and on toward Alpine. Just before the city limits, a herd of deer started running across the road in front of me. All I could think of was Norris who got run over by a deer during a Blood, Sweat, and Gears ride a few years ago. I stopped and waited until the 9-10 deer crossed. From there, I watched the sunset as I entered the somewhat small town of Alpine. I actually saw the sun rise and set while on the bike today - how many of you could say that? I grabbed a room at a Best Western and took a long hot shower. Then I went across the street for a huge pasta dinner with a salad, cheese biscuits, and a large draft. For the day, I ate a huge breakfast, a good lunch at Kent, 2 candy bars, an energy bar, 2 GU Energy Gels, and then a big supper. I also drank 6 24 oz water bottles. All of this was needed to fuel 116 miles, I suppose. As Chris Cope said yesterday, my diet is starting to look like Michael Phelps.
Tomorrow will be a recovery ride of only 85 miles or so to Sanderson TX.
Good night!
Weather: Cold and overcast in the morning and then perfect blue skies and warm temps in the afternoon.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 116 Trip: 1,137
Total travel time: 10:00 Trip: 114:50
Bike Riding time: 9:04 Trip: 91:00
Avg speed: 12.81 Trip: 12.74
Max speed: 41.56 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 3,693 Trip: 32,124
Avg pedal RPMs: 90 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 121 Trip: 118
Max heart rate: 192 Trip: 195 - almost blew an artery today
Calories burned: 6,723 Trip: 67,058 - record burn today!
Weather Statistics:
High temp 64 Trip: 75
Low temp: 44 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Helped me mostly
Total good wind days: 6
Total bad wind days: 9
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Best Western
Total hotel nights: 14
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 45
Pints: 1 Trip: 25
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - awesome day and I hate to see the mountains behind me.
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.3658
Longitude:-103.6387
Nearest Location: E Holland Ave, Alpine, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/06/2008 16:10:56 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.3658,-103.6387&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:30.3658
Longitude:-103.6387
Nearest Location: E Holland Ave, Alpine, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/06/2008 16:10:56 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.3658,-103.6387&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Friday, December 5, 2008
Day 14 - Friday, December 5
Description: Finished up in Van Horn Tx at around 5:30 - Central time. This was my first 100 mile ride of the trek and I am now over 1,000 miles done!!!
My little motel in Fabens did not provide breakfast so I was on my own. I snagged 2 oatmeal packs from yesterday's hotel plus bought some Pop Tarts last night after my Mexican feast. They did have an in-room coffee pot so caffeine was under control but calories were at risk. I scarfed everything I had down and was ready to roll out around 7:15. It was very cold and crap, the wind was still stiff in my face. I struggled at about 11 MPH for about 28 miles to Fort Hancock and took a break. Only problem was that I had to ride almost 2 miles up a hill (off course) to the I-10 exit to find a gas station and food. I ate a big sandwich and had a large coffee. It thawed me out. I also bought PayDay Pro and Snickers Marathon Energy bars for the road ahead. I had not seen either of these before and knew Ron Clanton would be jealous of the "Pro" version of his favorite ride energy food - mini-PayDays. Between the 2 bars, they packed 25 grams of protein - now that's a lot. Off I went into the wind and was already thinking of shortening my ride based on the fatigue after just 28 miles. I pressed on knowing Jim P would comment if I did not do at least 80 miles. I rode through McNary and Esperanza which were right on the Mexican border. Several Border Patrol officers stopped and talked to me as they were looking for someone about my size except they said my farmer's tan was darker than the guy they wanted so they let me go. So far, all I saw was the beautiful Mexican mountains and one cotton farm after another. From there, I ate my PayDay Pro in anticipation of having to climb another mountain pass (see earlier post with picture). I rolled onto I-10 which was really nice with wide shoulders and a smooth surface. I was at the 50 mile mark of my ride. Once on the interstate, I climbed up a long slow grade through the mountain pass for about 15 miles which was not all that bad. Once through the pass, there was a Border Patrol checkpoint which I rolled through without an incident. I stopped to wolf down the Snickers Marathon bar and a GU Energy Gel to fuel me for the last 30 miles. The speed limit is actually 80 MPH on I-10 and I was catching a good draft from the trucks as they flew past me at 85 MPH. Don't worry Mom, there was at least 8-10 ft between them and me. I put the dented Mean Green Machine in a big gear and rode hard for the last 30 miles that were mostly downhill into Van Horn. After a long hot shower at the Super-8, I biked down the road to a local steak house where I destroyed their salad bar and had a nice steak, baked potato, and a couple of drafts to prep me for tomorrow.
Tomorrow will likely be just as difficult (if not more) as I will attack the final mountain pass (over 6,000 ft) of the trek. In addition, the ride will be over 90 miles. The forecast is for more stiff Westerly winds at 15-25 MPH - yuk yuk yuk.
Good night.
Weather: Overcast, cold, and windy early. After lunch, the sun came out and the winds backed down some. I wore my jacket for half the day.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 100 Trip: 1,021 - my first Century
Total travel time: 9:15 Trip: 104:50
Bike Riding time: 7:25 Trip: 81:56
Avg speed: 13.43 Trip: 12.74
Max speed: 28.03 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,355 Trip: 29,786
Avg pedal RPMs: 91 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 122 Trip: 118
Max heart rate: 142 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 5,591 Trip: 60,335
Weather Statistics:
High temp 58 Trip: 75
Low temp: 42 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Major against
Total good wind days: 5
Total bad wind days: 9
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Super-8
Total hotel nights: 13
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 42
Pints: 2 Trip: 24
Mood rating (1-10): 9 - tough day in the beginning but after the "Pro PayDay" it all got better. One more mountain climb left which is tomorrow. .
My little motel in Fabens did not provide breakfast so I was on my own. I snagged 2 oatmeal packs from yesterday's hotel plus bought some Pop Tarts last night after my Mexican feast. They did have an in-room coffee pot so caffeine was under control but calories were at risk. I scarfed everything I had down and was ready to roll out around 7:15. It was very cold and crap, the wind was still stiff in my face. I struggled at about 11 MPH for about 28 miles to Fort Hancock and took a break. Only problem was that I had to ride almost 2 miles up a hill (off course) to the I-10 exit to find a gas station and food. I ate a big sandwich and had a large coffee. It thawed me out. I also bought PayDay Pro and Snickers Marathon Energy bars for the road ahead. I had not seen either of these before and knew Ron Clanton would be jealous of the "Pro" version of his favorite ride energy food - mini-PayDays. Between the 2 bars, they packed 25 grams of protein - now that's a lot. Off I went into the wind and was already thinking of shortening my ride based on the fatigue after just 28 miles. I pressed on knowing Jim P would comment if I did not do at least 80 miles. I rode through McNary and Esperanza which were right on the Mexican border. Several Border Patrol officers stopped and talked to me as they were looking for someone about my size except they said my farmer's tan was darker than the guy they wanted so they let me go. So far, all I saw was the beautiful Mexican mountains and one cotton farm after another. From there, I ate my PayDay Pro in anticipation of having to climb another mountain pass (see earlier post with picture). I rolled onto I-10 which was really nice with wide shoulders and a smooth surface. I was at the 50 mile mark of my ride. Once on the interstate, I climbed up a long slow grade through the mountain pass for about 15 miles which was not all that bad. Once through the pass, there was a Border Patrol checkpoint which I rolled through without an incident. I stopped to wolf down the Snickers Marathon bar and a GU Energy Gel to fuel me for the last 30 miles. The speed limit is actually 80 MPH on I-10 and I was catching a good draft from the trucks as they flew past me at 85 MPH. Don't worry Mom, there was at least 8-10 ft between them and me. I put the dented Mean Green Machine in a big gear and rode hard for the last 30 miles that were mostly downhill into Van Horn. After a long hot shower at the Super-8, I biked down the road to a local steak house where I destroyed their salad bar and had a nice steak, baked potato, and a couple of drafts to prep me for tomorrow.
Tomorrow will likely be just as difficult (if not more) as I will attack the final mountain pass (over 6,000 ft) of the trek. In addition, the ride will be over 90 miles. The forecast is for more stiff Westerly winds at 15-25 MPH - yuk yuk yuk.
Good night.
Weather: Overcast, cold, and windy early. After lunch, the sun came out and the winds backed down some. I wore my jacket for half the day.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 100 Trip: 1,021 - my first Century
Total travel time: 9:15 Trip: 104:50
Bike Riding time: 7:25 Trip: 81:56
Avg speed: 13.43 Trip: 12.74
Max speed: 28.03 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 1,355 Trip: 29,786
Avg pedal RPMs: 91 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 122 Trip: 118
Max heart rate: 142 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 5,591 Trip: 60,335
Weather Statistics:
High temp 58 Trip: 75
Low temp: 42 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: Major against
Total good wind days: 5
Total bad wind days: 9
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Super-8
Total hotel nights: 13
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 42
Pints: 2 Trip: 24
Mood rating (1-10): 9 - tough day in the beginning but after the "Pro PayDay" it all got better. One more mountain climb left which is tomorrow. .
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:31.035
Longitude:-104.8548
Nearest Location: Van Horn, United States
Distance: 2 km(s)
Time:12/05/2008 14:58:39 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=31.035,-104.8548&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:31.035
Longitude:-104.8548
Nearest Location: Van Horn, United States
Distance: 2 km(s)
Time:12/05/2008 14:58:39 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=31.035,-104.8548&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 13 - Thursday, December 4
Description: Finished up in Fabens TX at around 4:30.
Today's ride was a tough 78 miles but I was able to say farewell to New Mexico and hello to Texas. I woke up at 6:45 and hit the Comfort Inn buffet breakfast hard with a large plate of eggs, sausages, biscuits, yogurt, OJ, and coffee. Then I went back to my room to pack up before rolling out the front door at 8:00. I was surprised at how cold it was so I leaned my bike against a large 12x12 post to pull out a jacket and my leg warmers. Then "it happened". The bike rolled forward and slammed down on the corner of the post putting 2 big dents on my top tube. It must have bounced for the second dent - crap!!! I was lucky that it did not do more damage and end my trip. I had it checked at a bike shop in El Paso and they felt it would be safe to continue riding. After collecting myself, I shoved off with the Mean Green Machine having added character and war scars. Immediately, I was faced with a strong wind directly in my face and it stayed this way all day long which is like dragging a big anchor around. I strained through the small towns of La Mesilla, San Miquel, and La Mesa before stopping at Chamberino for more fuel. I consumed a Snickers bar and a Odwalla Chocolate Chip Peanut bar before taking on the wind again. I struggled to maintain 10 MPH as my legs were tired and there was no resting. On top of that, I forgot to take my EPO supplements last night so my energy levels were low:-) I rode for miles through endless pecan orchards with a few vineyards and a cotton farm or two. Just outside of Canutillo (middle of nowhere), there was a huge and flat field of beautiful grass that the Master's would be proud of. I stopped to take a closer look and found out it was a polo field in the middle of pecan trees - go figure. From there, I slowly cranked my way into El Paso TX for lunch. Yep, both Tim T. and my Bro both caught me on radar at a Wendy's loading up. It was a fat, calorie, protein, and caffeine injection directly into my arteries and muscles. I enjoyed a double-stack burger, chili, backed potato with cheese/onions and extra sour cream, and a large coffee. This brought new life into my legs as well as "The Clear" did to enhance Barry Bonds performance. After lunch, I still had another 40 miles to pedal. I rolled through the middle of El Paso (which was nothing special) and then headed East paralleling I-10 and just inches from the Mexican border! The wind was better in the city but hit me again as I exited downtown. I did not need a map today. All I needed to do was ride straight into the wind and knew I was heading the right direction. Then I put the hammer down and picked up the pace so that I would not run out of daylight. My Mom said not to do that again and I usually listen to her. Eventually, I reached my final destination of Fabens. I asked 5 people where the hotels were and none of them spoke English. Then I met a woman who said the only hotel around was up next to I-10 on top of the hill. I asked her how big the hill was as I was totally spent. She said as big as the hills in San Francisco while laughing. She was not far off as it was a tough 2 mile climb. I got lucky as there were just a few rooms left - wheeeew. After a long shower, I had an awesome Mexican supper at a small cafe next to my small motel.
Today took as much energy as any day before due to the relentless wind. Tomorrow will be a long ride up to Van Horn TX and will include a thousand ft climb - ahh, nothing. I hope the wind is better.
Weather: the weather was great for biking although the brilliant blue skies of the mountains were gone. Partly cloudy all day with a cold start and warming up around 11.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 78 Trip: 922
Total travel time: 8:30 Trip: 95:35
Bike Riding time: 6:30 Trip: 74:30
Avg speed: 12.00 Trip: 12.67
Max speed: 25.19 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 937 Trip: 28,431
Avg pedal RPMs: 89 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 111 Trip: 118
Max heart rate: 177 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,177 Trip: 54,744
Weather Statistics:
High temp 69 Trip: 75
Low temp: 55 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: major against
Total good wind days: 5
Total bad wind days: 8
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Fabens Inn
Total hotel nights: 12
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 40
Pints: 2 Trip: 22
Mood rating (1-10): 8.25 - today was another test just like flat day and I made it just fine.
Today's ride was a tough 78 miles but I was able to say farewell to New Mexico and hello to Texas. I woke up at 6:45 and hit the Comfort Inn buffet breakfast hard with a large plate of eggs, sausages, biscuits, yogurt, OJ, and coffee. Then I went back to my room to pack up before rolling out the front door at 8:00. I was surprised at how cold it was so I leaned my bike against a large 12x12 post to pull out a jacket and my leg warmers. Then "it happened". The bike rolled forward and slammed down on the corner of the post putting 2 big dents on my top tube. It must have bounced for the second dent - crap!!! I was lucky that it did not do more damage and end my trip. I had it checked at a bike shop in El Paso and they felt it would be safe to continue riding. After collecting myself, I shoved off with the Mean Green Machine having added character and war scars. Immediately, I was faced with a strong wind directly in my face and it stayed this way all day long which is like dragging a big anchor around. I strained through the small towns of La Mesilla, San Miquel, and La Mesa before stopping at Chamberino for more fuel. I consumed a Snickers bar and a Odwalla Chocolate Chip Peanut bar before taking on the wind again. I struggled to maintain 10 MPH as my legs were tired and there was no resting. On top of that, I forgot to take my EPO supplements last night so my energy levels were low:-) I rode for miles through endless pecan orchards with a few vineyards and a cotton farm or two. Just outside of Canutillo (middle of nowhere), there was a huge and flat field of beautiful grass that the Master's would be proud of. I stopped to take a closer look and found out it was a polo field in the middle of pecan trees - go figure. From there, I slowly cranked my way into El Paso TX for lunch. Yep, both Tim T. and my Bro both caught me on radar at a Wendy's loading up. It was a fat, calorie, protein, and caffeine injection directly into my arteries and muscles. I enjoyed a double-stack burger, chili, backed potato with cheese/onions and extra sour cream, and a large coffee. This brought new life into my legs as well as "The Clear" did to enhance Barry Bonds performance. After lunch, I still had another 40 miles to pedal. I rolled through the middle of El Paso (which was nothing special) and then headed East paralleling I-10 and just inches from the Mexican border! The wind was better in the city but hit me again as I exited downtown. I did not need a map today. All I needed to do was ride straight into the wind and knew I was heading the right direction. Then I put the hammer down and picked up the pace so that I would not run out of daylight. My Mom said not to do that again and I usually listen to her. Eventually, I reached my final destination of Fabens. I asked 5 people where the hotels were and none of them spoke English. Then I met a woman who said the only hotel around was up next to I-10 on top of the hill. I asked her how big the hill was as I was totally spent. She said as big as the hills in San Francisco while laughing. She was not far off as it was a tough 2 mile climb. I got lucky as there were just a few rooms left - wheeeew. After a long shower, I had an awesome Mexican supper at a small cafe next to my small motel.
Today took as much energy as any day before due to the relentless wind. Tomorrow will be a long ride up to Van Horn TX and will include a thousand ft climb - ahh, nothing. I hope the wind is better.
Weather: the weather was great for biking although the brilliant blue skies of the mountains were gone. Partly cloudy all day with a cold start and warming up around 11.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 78 Trip: 922
Total travel time: 8:30 Trip: 95:35
Bike Riding time: 6:30 Trip: 74:30
Avg speed: 12.00 Trip: 12.67
Max speed: 25.19 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 937 Trip: 28,431
Avg pedal RPMs: 89 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 111 Trip: 118
Max heart rate: 177 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,177 Trip: 54,744
Weather Statistics:
High temp 69 Trip: 75
Low temp: 55 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: major against
Total good wind days: 5
Total bad wind days: 8
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Fabens Inn
Total hotel nights: 12
Total camping nights: 1
Cups of coffee: 3 Trip: 40
Pints: 2 Trip: 22
Mood rating (1-10): 8.25 - today was another test just like flat day and I made it just fine.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I Am Fine.... Please Don't Worry....
When I got out of the hotel this morning, I leaned the bike against a 12x12 post to get a jacket and leg warmers and it rolled. It then dropped about a foot and hit the corner of the post. It must have bounced because there are 2 dents. It still rides fine but looks like sh#t. I will give a full report with my blog entry later tonight.
OK ESN:0-7458562
This is Steve and I am checking in to let everyone know that I have finished my ride for the day safe and sound.
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:31.5186
Longitude:-106.1335
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:12/04/2008 15:33:03 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=31.5186,-106.1335&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:31.5186
Longitude:-106.1335
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:12/04/2008 15:33:03 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=31.5186,-106.1335&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
