Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Day 18 - Tuesday December 9
Description: Finished the ride just after noon today in Del Rio TX after a very short 33 miles. Remember, today was planned as a rest day.
Before I provide today's write-up, I would like to make a few comments. First of all, several of you have been worried about me getting Blackberry Thumbs. To help reduce pecking and formatting, I have saved templates for each day thanks to HP and SL. The thumbs are doing great due to all of the vitamins I am taking so stop worrying. Also, I want everyone to know that I see every one of your posts as emails and love the banter AND sage advice that I have received thus far and it really keeps me going knowing that so many people are with me on my adventure. The challenge is that I cannot reply directly to your blog posts without having access to a computer. That is why I have not responded to all of your input but please do not stop sending it my way as everyone seems to feed off of it and I do see it while riding!!! Another concern has been how I have been able to recover each day after so many back to back brutal rides. The truth is that I have been crossing the border (much cheaper and no cops) at nights for blood transfusions. I also take nightly EPO supplements, drink 4-5 cups of coffee a day, drink 2 pints a day, eat at least 1 PayDay a day, eat as many bean burritos as possible, and most importantly I shove as much protein, carbs, and fat into my system as I can! That is your answer Mr. Bridenbaugh.
Back to the blog write-up..... Today was awesome. I slept in until 7:30 and then to my delight, looked out my tent and saw the windmill behind me pointing toward Del Rio - yeehaa. I packed up my tent and then enjoyed a Starbucks Mocha Frapp (bought yesterday from Judge Roy Bean) and a Cliff bar for breakfast. Then Bob came out from his trailer and his wife offered me some fresh fruit and local almonds for the road. She also had Bob give me a self addressed card for me to send back to them so they would know I made it home - how cool was that? They were great hosts. I also gave them this blog address as they want to follow me. Then I shoved off with the wind at my back at 8:45. A mile and a half up the road, I stopped in Comstock (I did not see any gold) at Jim Holley's Bar and Grill for some coffee and home-made blueberry fried pies. Wow was that good and it only cost 2 bucks. Fully caffenated and stuffed, I rolled toward Del Rio. After twenty easy miles (my heart rate only averaged 101 today), I crossed the Amistad Reservoir bridge which was real tight on the shoulders. I cannot believe the Rio Grande feeds this huge lake based on how small the Rio was when I last crossed it a week ago. The water was clear and I will bet it is full of bass. Then I breezed the next 10 miles into the Ramada Inn in Del Rio. After a quick shower, I hit the Micky D's (had to use up my gift card)down the road for a couple of double c-burgers and fries to fill the tank with fat and sodium. I then found the local bike shop and marble distributor. Yes, that is correct, they sell bikes and huge polished marble slabs - what a combo. When I got there, the owner was unloading marble and asked me to wait. I went across the street to a donut shop for a couple of donuts and a coffee as I was still hungry. After nearly an hour, I went across the street and the owner had someone let me in so that I could maintain my bike. I cleaned the drivetrain, lubed everything up, and trued the wheels. The Mean Green Machine is now ready to make it to Florida. I also bought some extra gel handlebar tape as my hands have been getting numb from time to time. From there, I hit a Wal-Mart to stock up on supplies. Then back to the hotel for a load of laundry while enjoying happy hour in the hotel bar. To cap my calorie intake off, I had dinner at a Sirloin Stockade which is like a Golden Corral except this place had great steak. The storm that has been chasing me for days finally hit during dinner and there are now 35+ mph winds, rain, and some flurries mixed in. This is supposed to clear by morning - I have my fingers crossed as tomorrow is planned to be over 80 miles. I hope to post some new pictures to Flickr tonight.
Good night!
Weather: Warm, blue skies, and a good wind at my back - perfect.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 33 Trip: 1,343
Total travel time: 3:20 Trip: 135:30
Bike Riding time: 2:13 Trip: 108:43
Avg speed: 14.65 Trip: 12.70
Max speed: 35.37 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 256 Trip: 33,228
Avg pedal RPMs: 88 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 101 Trip: 116 - easy riding today
Max heart rate: 124 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 1,879 Trip: 78,047
Weather Statistics:
High temp 71 Trip: 75
Low temp: 57 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: very favorable
Total good wind days: 7
Total bad wind days: 11
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Ramada
Total hotel nights: 16
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 4 Trip: 56
Pints: 3 Trip: 29
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - great rest day although the wind, rain, and snow outside my window is somewhat a concern.
Before I provide today's write-up, I would like to make a few comments. First of all, several of you have been worried about me getting Blackberry Thumbs. To help reduce pecking and formatting, I have saved templates for each day thanks to HP and SL. The thumbs are doing great due to all of the vitamins I am taking so stop worrying. Also, I want everyone to know that I see every one of your posts as emails and love the banter AND sage advice that I have received thus far and it really keeps me going knowing that so many people are with me on my adventure. The challenge is that I cannot reply directly to your blog posts without having access to a computer. That is why I have not responded to all of your input but please do not stop sending it my way as everyone seems to feed off of it and I do see it while riding!!! Another concern has been how I have been able to recover each day after so many back to back brutal rides. The truth is that I have been crossing the border (much cheaper and no cops) at nights for blood transfusions. I also take nightly EPO supplements, drink 4-5 cups of coffee a day, drink 2 pints a day, eat at least 1 PayDay a day, eat as many bean burritos as possible, and most importantly I shove as much protein, carbs, and fat into my system as I can! That is your answer Mr. Bridenbaugh.
Back to the blog write-up..... Today was awesome. I slept in until 7:30 and then to my delight, looked out my tent and saw the windmill behind me pointing toward Del Rio - yeehaa. I packed up my tent and then enjoyed a Starbucks Mocha Frapp (bought yesterday from Judge Roy Bean) and a Cliff bar for breakfast. Then Bob came out from his trailer and his wife offered me some fresh fruit and local almonds for the road. She also had Bob give me a self addressed card for me to send back to them so they would know I made it home - how cool was that? They were great hosts. I also gave them this blog address as they want to follow me. Then I shoved off with the wind at my back at 8:45. A mile and a half up the road, I stopped in Comstock (I did not see any gold) at Jim Holley's Bar and Grill for some coffee and home-made blueberry fried pies. Wow was that good and it only cost 2 bucks. Fully caffenated and stuffed, I rolled toward Del Rio. After twenty easy miles (my heart rate only averaged 101 today), I crossed the Amistad Reservoir bridge which was real tight on the shoulders. I cannot believe the Rio Grande feeds this huge lake based on how small the Rio was when I last crossed it a week ago. The water was clear and I will bet it is full of bass. Then I breezed the next 10 miles into the Ramada Inn in Del Rio. After a quick shower, I hit the Micky D's (had to use up my gift card)down the road for a couple of double c-burgers and fries to fill the tank with fat and sodium. I then found the local bike shop and marble distributor. Yes, that is correct, they sell bikes and huge polished marble slabs - what a combo. When I got there, the owner was unloading marble and asked me to wait. I went across the street to a donut shop for a couple of donuts and a coffee as I was still hungry. After nearly an hour, I went across the street and the owner had someone let me in so that I could maintain my bike. I cleaned the drivetrain, lubed everything up, and trued the wheels. The Mean Green Machine is now ready to make it to Florida. I also bought some extra gel handlebar tape as my hands have been getting numb from time to time. From there, I hit a Wal-Mart to stock up on supplies. Then back to the hotel for a load of laundry while enjoying happy hour in the hotel bar. To cap my calorie intake off, I had dinner at a Sirloin Stockade which is like a Golden Corral except this place had great steak. The storm that has been chasing me for days finally hit during dinner and there are now 35+ mph winds, rain, and some flurries mixed in. This is supposed to clear by morning - I have my fingers crossed as tomorrow is planned to be over 80 miles. I hope to post some new pictures to Flickr tonight.
Good night!
Weather: Warm, blue skies, and a good wind at my back - perfect.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 33 Trip: 1,343
Total travel time: 3:20 Trip: 135:30
Bike Riding time: 2:13 Trip: 108:43
Avg speed: 14.65 Trip: 12.70
Max speed: 35.37 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 256 Trip: 33,228
Avg pedal RPMs: 88 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 101 Trip: 116 - easy riding today
Max heart rate: 124 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 1,879 Trip: 78,047
Weather Statistics:
High temp 71 Trip: 75
Low temp: 57 Trip: 28
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 8
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 1
Wind factor: very favorable
Total good wind days: 7
Total bad wind days: 11
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Ramada
Total hotel nights: 16
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 4 Trip: 56
Pints: 3 Trip: 29
Mood rating (1-10): 9.25 - great rest day although the wind, rain, and snow outside my window is somewhat a concern.
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:29.3864
Longitude:-100.9046
Nearest Location: , Del Rio, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/09/2008 10:03:51 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.3864,-100.9046&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
ESN:0-7458562
Latitude:29.3864
Longitude:-100.9046
Nearest Location: , Del Rio, TX, US
Distance: 0 km(s)
Time:12/09/2008 10:03:51 (US/Pacific)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.3864,-100.9046&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Day 17 - Monday, December 8
Description: Sorry for the delayed blog entry but no cell coverage. Also, some of you were wondering why I did not ride up the hill to Comstock for a motel instead of the RV park. Answer #1 is that I was too tired and #2 is that the only motel is closed and under reconstruction.
Finished the 90 mile ride in Comstock TX at a small RV park.
Have you ever stood at the top of a sand dune at the beach and almost been blown backward as the wind whipped off the ocean? Well, that is how I felt on my ride all day long. I watched the weather forecast last night and they were posting wind warnings and said it would get worse as the day went on. Up the mountain where I just rode through, they were calling for 60-70 mph winds at Fort Davis and the McDonald Observatory areas! No breakfast buffet at the little motel this morning but I was prepared with oatmeal, Pop Tarts, a banana, and coffee. I ate around 6:30 and hit the road before the sunrise to get a jump on the wind. For the first 20 miles, it was cold, windy, and extremely foggy. I had all of my lights on and stayed well to the right of the shoulder hoping the hunters in their big trucks would not hit me. At 8:45, I arrived at the small town of Dryden which had a little store where I was going to load up on some coffee and snacks. They were supposed to open at 9 but after seeing no signs of life by 9:15, I decided to ride on into the fog in need of caffeine. Eventually, it warmed up and the fog lifted but the wind stayed relentless and was getting stronger by the hour. I was barely able to ride 9-10 mph all day and the ride was mostly downhill!!!! I pressed until I came across a place called Langtry which was at 60 miles. Believe it or not, in the middle of nowhere there was an old gas station that used to run by "Judge Roy Bean" whoever that is. The good news was an old man ran the store and made homemade smoked "Texas" beef bar-b-q. Man was it good and was I hungry. I had some chips, an ice cream sandwich, and a large bottle of Gatoraid. It hit the spot. I then moved forward in hopes of stopping at 80 miles at the Seminole Canyon State Park for the night. After crossing the Pecos river (this was a big river), I spoke with a guy parked on the side of the road in an RV. I asked how much further to the State Park? He said it was closed yesterday due to hunting season. Crap - now I had to ride at least another 10-12 miles. Luckily the Desert Hills RV park was open in Comstock. After battling the wind for 90 miles, I was whipped and ready to relax. I quickly set-up my tent and cooked a big dinner of 2 packs of Ramen noodles, a large pack of chunk chicken, a bag of trail mix, and hot chocolate. They had a great shelter with a sofa, table and chairs, lights, and heat for me to write this blog entry. Will be an early lights out tonight.
Tomorrow will almost be considered a rest day as it will only be around 35 miles into Del Rio. It is expected to be cold and maybe some showers as a front moves through. I hope it changes the wind direction! I will need to take some time to re-stock supplies, wash some clothes, and plan my next week's rides which do include lots of smaller climbs as I head toward Austin.
Good night!
BTW, special thanks to Bob and his wife (hosts at the RV park) for taking care of me and loading me up in the morning with fresh fruit and nuts!!!!
Weather: Cold, Fog, and windy in the morning which turned into a very nice afternoon except for the wind in the face.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 90 Trip: 1,310
Total travel time: 10:00 Trip: 132:10
Bike Riding time: 9:22 Trip: 106:29
Avg speed: 9.60 Trip: 12.60 - record low!
Max speed: 34.69 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,174 Trip: 35,146
Avg pedal RPMs: 86 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 108 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 137 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,626 Trip: 76,168
Weather Statistics:
High temp 63 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: Major Against at 15-25+ mph
Total good wind days: 6
Total bad wind days: 11
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: camping - Desert Hills RV Park
Total hotel nights: 15
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 52
Pints: 0 Trip: 26 - dry night
Mood rating (1-10): 7.93 - OK, the wind has been hammering me for 3 days now. I am hoping for a change tomorrow.
Finished the 90 mile ride in Comstock TX at a small RV park.
Have you ever stood at the top of a sand dune at the beach and almost been blown backward as the wind whipped off the ocean? Well, that is how I felt on my ride all day long. I watched the weather forecast last night and they were posting wind warnings and said it would get worse as the day went on. Up the mountain where I just rode through, they were calling for 60-70 mph winds at Fort Davis and the McDonald Observatory areas! No breakfast buffet at the little motel this morning but I was prepared with oatmeal, Pop Tarts, a banana, and coffee. I ate around 6:30 and hit the road before the sunrise to get a jump on the wind. For the first 20 miles, it was cold, windy, and extremely foggy. I had all of my lights on and stayed well to the right of the shoulder hoping the hunters in their big trucks would not hit me. At 8:45, I arrived at the small town of Dryden which had a little store where I was going to load up on some coffee and snacks. They were supposed to open at 9 but after seeing no signs of life by 9:15, I decided to ride on into the fog in need of caffeine. Eventually, it warmed up and the fog lifted but the wind stayed relentless and was getting stronger by the hour. I was barely able to ride 9-10 mph all day and the ride was mostly downhill!!!! I pressed until I came across a place called Langtry which was at 60 miles. Believe it or not, in the middle of nowhere there was an old gas station that used to run by "Judge Roy Bean" whoever that is. The good news was an old man ran the store and made homemade smoked "Texas" beef bar-b-q. Man was it good and was I hungry. I had some chips, an ice cream sandwich, and a large bottle of Gatoraid. It hit the spot. I then moved forward in hopes of stopping at 80 miles at the Seminole Canyon State Park for the night. After crossing the Pecos river (this was a big river), I spoke with a guy parked on the side of the road in an RV. I asked how much further to the State Park? He said it was closed yesterday due to hunting season. Crap - now I had to ride at least another 10-12 miles. Luckily the Desert Hills RV park was open in Comstock. After battling the wind for 90 miles, I was whipped and ready to relax. I quickly set-up my tent and cooked a big dinner of 2 packs of Ramen noodles, a large pack of chunk chicken, a bag of trail mix, and hot chocolate. They had a great shelter with a sofa, table and chairs, lights, and heat for me to write this blog entry. Will be an early lights out tonight.
Tomorrow will almost be considered a rest day as it will only be around 35 miles into Del Rio. It is expected to be cold and maybe some showers as a front moves through. I hope it changes the wind direction! I will need to take some time to re-stock supplies, wash some clothes, and plan my next week's rides which do include lots of smaller climbs as I head toward Austin.
Good night!
BTW, special thanks to Bob and his wife (hosts at the RV park) for taking care of me and loading me up in the morning with fresh fruit and nuts!!!!
Weather: Cold, Fog, and windy in the morning which turned into a very nice afternoon except for the wind in the face.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 90 Trip: 1,310
Total travel time: 10:00 Trip: 132:10
Bike Riding time: 9:22 Trip: 106:29
Avg speed: 9.60 Trip: 12.60 - record low!
Max speed: 34.69 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 2,174 Trip: 35,146
Avg pedal RPMs: 86 Trip: 87
Avg heart rate: 108 Trip: 116
Max heart rate: 137 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 4,626 Trip: 76,168
Weather Statistics:
High temp 63 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: Major Against at 15-25+ mph
Total good wind days: 6
Total bad wind days: 11
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 8
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: camping - Desert Hills RV Park
Total hotel nights: 15
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 2 Trip: 52
Pints: 0 Trip: 26 - dry night
Mood rating (1-10): 7.93 - OK, the wind has been hammering me for 3 days now. I am hoping for a change tomorrow.
Monday, December 8, 2008
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: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
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
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. .
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